Article #2

Due Friday, September 18th

Go to a NY Times link by clicking here.

Flip through all 9 slides.

Question 1: What is the name of this graph?

Q2: Is it better to be on the right or left of the graph?

Q3: What is graphed on the x-axis?

Q4: What is graphed on the y-axis?

Q5: What does it mean if one value has a very high stack?

Q6: What are the weaknesses of this display?

Q7: What are the strengths?

Q8: Do you think Tufte would be impressed with this display? Why or why not?

Article #1

Edward Tufte is one of the most influential thinkers in the world of statistical graphs. He is actually a specialist and a formidable thinker about any and all issues that deal with displaying information of all sorts. This "article" will take you to various parts of his web site and ask you to think about some of the ideas he discusses.


Click on this link and then scroll down to see the acceptance letter:
Would you like to get a letter like this? Does it communicate the information it is trying to convey appropriately? Effectively?

Scroll down and read the first page or two about Sparklines:
What is a sparkline? Do you see any advantages to using them?

Scroll down to read about the misleading graphic:
Hopefully you can click on and see the graphic.
And read Tufte's response.
Our book talks about the "area priniciple".
What "graphic" does Tufte recommend the Times had used?
How might you, as a semi-literate statistician be useful to a graphic designer?

Finally, click here:
**Wow, the iPhone is better designed than you think!
**Do you like his museum guide?
**Note: this is a LONG essay. You don't have to read it all. But please learn a few things from the page and/or discussion.

Hope you were impressed by Tufte's thorough thinking! And I hope you read this stuff carefully enough to be able to contribute to a class discussion about these ideas. You don't have to sound like a genius, but you should have absorbed some information so that you can join in!