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Worldwide Wired vs. Wireless Broadband Connectivity |
 Scientific
American consistently has some of the best graphs and illustrations
of any technical magazine, but this new one from
IEEE Spectrum that displays broadband data connectivity for wired
vs. wireless is right up there in quality IMHO. What distinguishes a
good chart from a bad chart? Assuming that all pertinent data is presented,
the most important feature is eye catchiness. If an audience is not
attracted to your information, you have wasted time. Sure, science purists
will argue that a B&W line graph is all that is required to convey
important results, but in today's world expectations are higher than,
say, in 1879 when Thomas Edison might have been giving a lecture on
the performance of various compositions of lamp filaments. Cluttering
a chart with superfluous information such as background photos is not
only unnecessary but potentially damaging; however, judicial use of
color, line styles, and font faces can make the difference between success
and failure.
Posted April 2013 |
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