Ever since Jordan recommended the Metropolitan World Atlas, I’ve been on the look out for a copy. My search was eventually rewarded on a recent trip to - rather unexpectedly - The Architecture Centre in Bristol.
The design is far from perfect: There’s some really quite awful typography in the opening pages; Likewise, much of the data is disappointingly out of date, despite being published in 2005. But as an exercise in information composition, this book remains a truly wonderful accomplishment.
Its success resides in the author’s ability to present complicated datasets in both elegant and meaningful ways. In my opinion, Arjen van Susteren gets very close to what Mr Tufte would describe as Graphical Excellence:
“Excellence in statistical graphics consists of complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision, and efficiency. Graphical displays should
- show the data
- induce the viewer to think about the substance rather than about the methodology, graphic design, the technology of graphic production, or something else
- avoid distorting what the data have to say
- present many numbers in a small space
- make large data sets coherent
- encourage the eye to compare different pieces of data
- reveal the data at several levels of detail, from a broad overview to the fine structure
- serves a reasonably clear purpose: description, exploration, tabulation, or decoration
- be closely integrated with the statistical and verbal descriptions of a data set.
Graphics reveal data…”
Edward R. Tufte, The Visual Display Of Quantitative Information
In a move that seems to surprise everyone, I’m intending to cycle the length of the South Downs Way this weekend. Partly for fun and partly for charity.
Yes, I know Wikipedia says it’s only one hundred miles but don’t forget the 13600 feet of ascent and descent
as well. Yeesh; I’ll be walking like Wayne for a week.
Funny walks aside, it’s all for a great cause so if you feeling charitable, head over to my justgiving page and donate to your heart’s content. And thank you, it really is much appreciated.
A mediocre photo at best, but I really wanted to capture that final sentence: This is one of the first recorded attempts in the country to beautify a town for the benefit of all the people
. It’s dedicated to John Kyrle whose philanthropy was to benefit the splendid little town of Ross-on-Wye.
Today, his sense of goodwill and taste manifests itself in an all together different form: pies; Of which, I eat several. Thank you John.
Complex information, such as price lists and timetables, cannot be designed on a preconceived grid. The page arrangement has to stem from the content and structure of the information itself. First you have to find the shortest and the longest elements, and then ignore them; if your layout accommodates the extremes you will end up making allowances for a few isolated exceptions. The thing to do is make the bulk of the matter fit, then go back to the exceptions and work with them one by one. If there are only a few long lines in an otherwise short listing, it should be considered an opportunity to flex your creative muscles: design them or rewrite.
Eric Spiekermann & E.M. Ginger, Stop Stealing Sheep and find out how type works
Oh deary me. The new(ish) Marks and Spencer website has a flash intro. I so hoped these days were behind us. I don’t know what’s more disturbing, the collective frustration of the site’s users or the fact that a designer somewhere still thinks this is a desirable experience. Way back in October 2000, Jakob Nielsen’s provocative article on Flash noted that “one of the Web’s most powerful features is that it lets users control their own destiny. Users go where they want, when they want”. Even Jakob himself admits that Flash has come along way since he originally published this article, but this statement certainly still remains true. Unfortunately, it looks like someone forgot to tell M & S.