Press Release
January 24, 2006
Information Dashboard Design: Does Your Information Dashboard Communicate Effectively?
Sebastopol, CA--Imagine driving a car with the dashboard displaying information that doesn't help you gauge speed, fuel level, or whether the engine is overheating. The same scenario can apply to information dashboards displaying corporate data that's meant to be useful. The information dashboard has become a uniquely powerful tool for communicating important data at a glance. Unfortunately most dashboards that are used in business today fall far short of their potential. The root of the problem is poor visual design. Information Dashboard Design (Few, O'Reilly, US $34.99) teaches the visual skills needed to create dashboards that communicate effectively with clear information that is relevant and compelling.
In the age of "Blink" (Malcolm Gladwell's best-seller), meaningful dashboards are essential to quick understanding that guides decision-making on a daily basis and in a crisis," comments Ben Shneiderman, Department of Computer Science Professor, and Founding Director of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL) at the University of Maryland. "But don't be lured into sparkle and flash. Make sure to follow Stephen Few’s guidance so that the key variables are visible and important changes are highlighted."
To serve their purpose and fulfill their potential, dashboards must display a dense array of information in a small amount of space in a manner that communicates clearly and immediately. This requires design that taps into and leverages the power of visual perception to sense and process large chunks of information rapidly. Information Dashboard Design is designed solely to help readers develop these visual design skills and create effective dashboards. This book will also explain how to:
Avoid the thirteen mistakes common to dashboard design
Provide viewers with the information they need quickly and clearly
Apply what we now know about visual perception to the visual presentation of information
Minimize distractions, cliches, and unnecessary embellishments that create confusion
Organize business information to support meaning and usability
Create an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience
Maintain consistency of design to provide accurate interpretation
Optimize the power of dashboard technology by pairing it with visual effectiveness
Information Dashboard Design highlights the effective visual communication of data in a clear and concise manner that helps meet business communication goals.
Additional Resources:
Information Dashboard Design
Stephen Few
ISBN: 0-596-10016-7, 223 pages, $34.99 US
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
Return to: O'Reilly Press Room
|
Recent Press Releases
Press Release Archive »
Resources
Press Contacts
Corporate
Sara Winge
800/998-9938 x7109
Media Relations - North America
Sara Peyton
800/998-9938 x7118
Media Relations - Germany
Corina Pahrmann
+49-221-973160-22
Media Relations - Japan
Kenji Watari
+81-3-3356-5227
Media Relations - United Kingdom
Josette Garcia
+44 (0)1252-721284
Media Relations - Conferences
Maureen Jennings
800/998-9938 x7083
|
