Visuals + Ethics

[Karen Schriver <ks0e+ -at- ANDREW -dot- CMU -dot- EDU>]

Jessica Shultz asked about places to look for information about the
ethics of visual placement. In order to answer your question, it would
be helpful to know more specifically what this topic means to you. What
sorts of graphics are you interested in and what aspects of ethics are
you concerned with? Do you mean physical placement of visuals on the
page? Or placement in terms of their presence or absence? Or all of
these? I can refer you to research/theory in the area once you tell me
more. As you probably discovered, most of the work in this area has been
in the area of the design of quantitative graphics. There are quite a
few good books that explore the ethical problems of poorly designed
graphs and charts, the newest among them is this one:

Visual Revelations: Graphical Tales of Fate and Deception from Napoleon
Bonaparte to Ross Perot

Here is a summary of its contents from the info-design e-mail list.

  AUTHOR:  Howard Wainer

 SUMMARY:  This book introduces the methods and history of
           presenting data by visual means, showing the reader how
           to be both a better producer and consumer of graphics.
           Visual Revelations sheds light on how well-done graphic
           representations illuminate subtle and significant
           elements of the information they represent, how
           poorly-conceived graphical devices can misrepresent and
           distort facts and data, and how cleverly designed
           displays can be potent tools for manipulating the
           viewer's perception and opinion.  This book illustrates
           the power of graphics with many examples: from Napoleon's
           retreat from Moscow to the O'rings on the space shuttle
           and from hospital mortality rates to bus schedules.
           Most of the contents of this book is an adaptation of
           earlier publications.  Chapter 1 is an expansion of 'How
           to display data badly' (1984), chapter 2 to chapter 20
           are adaptations of columns that have appeared in the
           statistics magazine 'Chance'.
CONTENTS
Introduction
I.   Graphical Failures
        Ch. 1. How to Display Data Badly
        Ch. 2. Graphical Mysteries
II.  Graphical Triumphs
        Ch. 3. Graphical Answers to Scientific Questions
        Ch. 4. Three Graphic Memorials
        Ch. 5. A Nobel Graph
        Ch. 6. Todai Moto Kurashi
        Ch. 7. Picturing an L.A. Bus Schedule
III. Graphical Forms
        Ch. 8. Humble Pie
        Ch. 9. Double Y-Axis Graphs
        Ch.10. Tabular Presentation
        Ch.11. A Rose by Another Name
        Ch.12. Trilinear Plots
        Ch.13. Implicit Graphs
IV.  Using Graphical Methods
        Ch.14. Measuring Graphicacy
        Ch.15. Graphs in the Presidential Campaign: Why Weren't
               They Used More Broadly?
        Ch.16. Visual Aids When Comparing an Apple to the Stars
V.   Improving Graphical Presentations
        Ch.17. Integrating Figures and Text
        Ch.18. Elegance, Grace, Impact, and Graphical Displays
        Ch.19. Sense-Lining
        Ch.20. Making Readable Overhead Displays
Finally - Notes, References, Credits, Index

Hardcover, 250 pages
Price: $ 35.00 USA
Published: June 1997
Publisher: Copernicus Books (Springer)
ISBN: 0-387-94902-X

good luck!

karen schriver
KSA, Document Design and Research


	http://www.documentation.com/, or http://www.dejanews.com/