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Visual Strategies: A Practical Guide to Graphics for Scientists and Engineers
For researchers in all disciplines, this book offers a practical, hands-on course in communicating scientific findings and concepts through visual graphics
Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researchers—even those with no previous design training—with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations. Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some work while others don't, and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science , Nature , Annual Reviews , Cell , PNAS , and the New England Journal of Medicine , as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators.
Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researchers—even those with no previous design training—with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations. Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some work while others don't, and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science , Nature , Annual Reviews , Cell , PNAS , and the New England Journal of Medicine , as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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140 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 20, 2012
I was not overly impressed by this volume. While some of the "visual strategies" presented seem useful, none were particularly inspiring. While there are some books that I would recommend as desktop references on the creation of informational graphics, this is not one of them.
In many of the examples, if one is not an expert in the specific area of science, it's very hard to determine whether the improvements are effective, since neither the before or the after examples make much sense to a layperson in terms of content. Consequently, it's difficult to judge whether the refinement improved the information transfer.
In some cases, I believe that the success of transformation is a matter of opinion. For example, on pages 38-39, the "before" image seems much more on target as a cover submission; the "after" image, while providing some background, waters down the power of the original image and loses any emphasis on the complex of interest (all I can think is that perhaps the before and after plates were switched). On pages 54-55, the original drawing of lipid droplet is extremely busy but presumably understandable to someone in the field. The detail of the "after" image shows something in which the right half of the image field is now blank, wasting an enormous amount of image space; perhaps this is a misrepresentation of the graphic that was eventually published, but the authors invite the misrepresentation.
Of the case studies, I found the ones on visually quantitative Venn diagrams, representing dark matter, and turning numbers into graphics to be the most useful. Others seemed so specific to the problem/domain that it would be quite difficult to extract more general lessons.
It's very difficult to take this work on its own, without mentally referring back to the books of Edward Tufte, who has set the bar in the design of graphics. In my opinion, a single, slender volume taking the lessons of Tufte and presenting them in the format taken here would be very useful. Unfortunately, this volume seems much more hit-and-miss. Since the recommended reading list in the back avoids any mention of Tufte's books (including the landmark The Visual Display of Quantitative Information), I can only think that the authors are attempting to make some sort of statement.
Lastly, the review PDF provided by NetGalley was missing a number of images, which made reviewing the book more difficult.
In many of the examples, if one is not an expert in the specific area of science, it's very hard to determine whether the improvements are effective, since neither the before or the after examples make much sense to a layperson in terms of content. Consequently, it's difficult to judge whether the refinement improved the information transfer.
In some cases, I believe that the success of transformation is a matter of opinion. For example, on pages 38-39, the "before" image seems much more on target as a cover submission; the "after" image, while providing some background, waters down the power of the original image and loses any emphasis on the complex of interest (all I can think is that perhaps the before and after plates were switched). On pages 54-55, the original drawing of lipid droplet is extremely busy but presumably understandable to someone in the field. The detail of the "after" image shows something in which the right half of the image field is now blank, wasting an enormous amount of image space; perhaps this is a misrepresentation of the graphic that was eventually published, but the authors invite the misrepresentation.
Of the case studies, I found the ones on visually quantitative Venn diagrams, representing dark matter, and turning numbers into graphics to be the most useful. Others seemed so specific to the problem/domain that it would be quite difficult to extract more general lessons.
It's very difficult to take this work on its own, without mentally referring back to the books of Edward Tufte, who has set the bar in the design of graphics. In my opinion, a single, slender volume taking the lessons of Tufte and presenting them in the format taken here would be very useful. Unfortunately, this volume seems much more hit-and-miss. Since the recommended reading list in the back avoids any mention of Tufte's books (including the landmark The Visual Display of Quantitative Information), I can only think that the authors are attempting to make some sort of statement.
Lastly, the review PDF provided by NetGalley was missing a number of images, which made reviewing the book more difficult.
August 18, 2012
Many beautiful examples of how collaborations with designers and visualization experts can greatly improve your figures and graphics.
July 11, 2018
If you create graphics for “any” type of presentation, this is worth reading. The book is designed well and is easy to navigate.
The book covers ways of displaying information, then goes into before and after diagrams and explains the strategies utilized to improve them.
The book covers ways of displaying information, then goes into before and after diagrams and explains the strategies utilized to improve them.
March 31, 2020
The core book is easy to read and to understand, it is very attractive. However some examples are very specific for some scientific fields and very hard to understand I think those examples are unnecessary and contradictory with the idea o abstracting the core information.
August 14, 2020
An illustrative short summary. I realized that the example given by Alyssa Goodman was a typical mistake I do. I deeply appreciated the power of coloring facilitating to convey the essential info
September 18, 2012
i have never removed a star from a book because of how it smelled, but i guess there's a first time for everything. for some drug-induced reason, the publisher went with a vinyl cover that smells like a brand-new cheap shower curtain. it clogged up my sinuses all morning until i cut the cover off and threw it away (in a bin, outside).
having said that! it's otherwise a pretty good book. some fine examples of how to approach the task of creating a data visualization. i think some of the examples in the Case Studies section could have used one or two more iterations, but all illustrate a design problem (time, location, multiple variables) pretty well.
just, sheesh, the cover... buy it used (and old!) if you can, or get out your Xacto.
having said that! it's otherwise a pretty good book. some fine examples of how to approach the task of creating a data visualization. i think some of the examples in the Case Studies section could have used one or two more iterations, but all illustrate a design problem (time, location, multiple variables) pretty well.
just, sheesh, the cover... buy it used (and old!) if you can, or get out your Xacto.
September 24, 2012
I'm a bit of a voyeur on this topic, having attended Tufte's courses twice over 15 years. Frankel & DePace take a different tack: their book is few words and mostly examples, unlike Tufte, who can prattle on a bit longer than I like. The downside of this book is it's limited (and admitted) scope of "scientists & engineers". The authors have a know-your-audience rule, but for me, their audiences are too similar to really see how the graphics would have turned out otherwise had the audience been different. (I'm in finance, and I'd like to see the same type of book with a financial focus.)
As for the smelly vinyl cover: my wife said it reminded her of the new babydoll she got for Christmas as a child.
As for the smelly vinyl cover: my wife said it reminded her of the new babydoll she got for Christmas as a child.
June 4, 2012
A more technical book than I expected, I hadn't noticed the subheading and it really is a book for scientists and engineers who need to present technical information in visual form. No doubt it would be helpful for the intended reader.
July 31, 2012
Good tips for scientists needing to use graphics for communicating their data and conclusions. Each discipline requires different strategies.
However, if you want to learn about how to do visuals, read Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information and his other works.
However, if you want to learn about how to do visuals, read Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information and his other works.
September 3, 2013
Absolutely awesome. One of the most useful books I have read. I did TA a class focusing on this material with Angela DePace so I may be biased but I do not think it would hurt to have this book on the shelf in every lab.
April 10, 2013
A good companion book for understanding visuals in a tech comm or science writing course.
Want to read
May 3, 2012Reviewed on kottke.org
http://kottke.org/12/05/a-practical-g...
http://kottke.org/12/05/a-practical-g...
November 6, 2012
If you want to make your data more clear, read this book!
Want to read
January 29, 2013As seen on ScienceOnline.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews