Information Visualization, Second Edition: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies) (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: information psychophysics, pseudocolor sequence, brain pixels, Data Mountain, North Atlantic, Param Class (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Most designers know that yellow text presented against a blue background reads clearly and easily, but how many can explain why? Information Visualization: Perception for Design explores the art and science of why we see objects the way we do.

Although more technical than most graphic design books, the book "is intended to make [the data from the science and study of visualization] available to the non-specialist." Each chapter focuses on a different facet of human vision, like "Lightness, Brightness, Contrast, and Constancy" in chapter 3, or "Static and Moving Patterns" in chapter 4.

Although the author tries to put a great deal of scientific research data into pedestrian terms, the nature of the subject matter and the papers from which he culls his information make this task an uphill battle from the start. As a result, the book is full of valuable information, but it may not necessarily be right for the average graphic designer looking for a new inspirational spin. Serious interface designers, presentation designers, data analyzers, or any artist tasked with presenting ideas in a visual format, though, should come away from Information Visualization with a clearer understanding of the inner workings of perception. At the very least, they'll be able to explain why yellow text against blue is a good combination. --Mike Caputo --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"This unique and essential guide to human visual perception and related cognitive principles will enrich courses on information visualization and empower designers to see their way forward. Ware's updated review of empirical research and interface design examples will do much to accelerate innovation and adoption of information visualization."
-Ben Shneiderman, University of Maryland

"Colin Ware is the perfect person to write this book, with a long history of prominent contributions to the visual interaction with machines and to information visualization directly. It goes a long way towards joining science to the practical design of information visualization systems."
-from the foreword by Stuart Card, PARC

"Better than anyone else that I've encountered in my work, Colin Ware explains how visual perception works and how it applies to data presentation." - Stephen Few -- Intelligent Enterprise

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 486 pages
• Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann; 2 edition (April 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558608192
• ISBN-13: 978-1558608191
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,351 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, despite its flaws, August 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Information Visualization: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies) (Hardcover)

Ware's book provides a technically accurate and well-written overview of the gamut of issues pertaining to information visualization -- from basic visual anatomy and physiology to techniques for creating effective displays from multidimensional data.

Yes, it's "introductory" in nature, but it's the most comprehensive introduction I've seen to this complex and emerging field. It would make an excellent reference or textbook.

The 5-star content gets 4 stars because of the book's numerous editorial flaws. For example, several illustrations in the text reference color plate images that simply don't exist. And at least a half-dozen works cited in the text don't appear on the reference list. All-in-all, a rather slipshod editing job.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent building blocks of information viz, July 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Information Visualization: Perception for Design (Interactive Technologies) (Hardcover)

This a well-written work revealing the fundamental rules of perception that are applicable in info viz and design. If you are looking for elaborate examples or brochureware, this is not for you. Focus is on basic principles (such as the gestalt rules, kinetic motion organization, visual ability. Excellent for the beginner or academic. Advanced info designers/architects may find it a little lean, but trust me, it's still worth it as a refresher and knowledge-base builder (I felt I still learned a few things).

The only main drawback may be book quality. Only a few color plates in the center make for a visually sparse work, although there are b/w images throughout. Nevertheless, writing makes up for this fact with clear and direct language. Many of us here in the Communication Planning/Information Design grad program like it a lot.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The best one volume book out there, but not perfect, October 5, 2004

By	Strategist (EU) - See all my reviews

This is the best single volume book on the subject of information visualisation that I've read. Sure, there are other very nice books on diagrams, maps, data analysis, modelling and scientific visualisation. However, none of them have the scope of this book.

And therein lies the problem. For a single volume book Ware's effort tries to cover too much and some of the chapters are quite weak (chapter 0 and 10). Also, the fact that it was written by a psychologist shows in a good and bad way: human visual cognition is correctly the foundation upon which to build visualisation. Unfortunately the examples and the ideas for implementation are often lacking or poor in quality.

The first edition also has typesetting errors, so be sure to get the second edition.

All in all, it's still a book worth getting if you're in any serious way connected with the practise of visualisation. However, don't expect it to be the bible of the field, as such a thing does not exist (yet).