Archive for March 2007

What makes a compelling visualization?

When the topic of information visualization gets brought up, my mind usually wanders to Edward Tufte. Then I might think a bit about the Conceptual Models course from CMU, remembering that fun visualization we made about the course registration process.

I think whether a visualization is enjoyable or aesthetically pleasing is a matter of taste. For example, I tend to not be a very big fan of text-based models (like the Java technology concept map), while most of my peers seem to think they’re pretty great. However, when it comes to the effectiveness of a visualization, it comes down to whether or not it saves time in learning the information it’s trying to convey.

That’s why when I saw this rehash of a common clock, I was a little skeptical.

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If you’ve been following the next-gen console sales, you’re probably aware that the PS3 isn’t doing so well. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but this ad that made it to Digg today doesn’t seem to be helping Sony’s cause much.

But what do I know about marketing. I guess if the game ads aren’t working, something different is in order.

Out of Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics, it’s number 1. A point that I’ve used countless times to developers and managers to encourage better design of products. Yet when it comes to a product I use everyday (and so do you), it never occurred to me that there was potential for improvement.

Do you know what it is?

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Just over a month ago, there was an article on Digg saying that the PerplexCity cube had been found. It sounded intriguing (especially the part about winning $200,000) so I checked it out. Apparently, there’s a puzzle site called PerplexCity which involves a series of collectible trading cards, each with a puzzle. You log in, solve the puzzles, and get clues to the location of the final artifact.

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Coming home the other night, I was greeted by an unusual sight:

And I wondered, why might someone leave their keys behind? Here are a few reasons I thought of. Read more…

I’ve been under the weather over the past couple weeks (which explains the lack of posts if, like my manager, you’ve been craving new content. She said she understood, but also mentioned that a colleague was blogging more frequently… you know, in that “Guess who’s getting the bigger bonus” way. Thanks Susan). At times you can’t do much besides lay on the couch and idly watch Law & Order reruns, but there have been some good distractions worth sharing. Read more…