Less Wow Factor, More Eureka Moment

by Jorge

Wow is Beauty, Eureka is Knowledge.

Wow alone is a dumb blond, Eureka alone is a decrepit old wizard.

Great information visualization is 20% meaningful wow and 80% useful Eureka.

No related posts.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Jon Peltier June 4, 2008 at 16:35: Then is great information visualization a smart blonde? … my taste runs toward brunette (in case my wife reads this).

Great visualization actually puts to lie the old adage “Beauty times brain is a constant”. The difficulty is in convincing designers that beauty does not consist of 3D perspectives with transparent fills and gradient shading. Beauty consists of clear displays with simple designs, at least in the eye of this beholder.
admin June 4, 2008 at 17:26: Jon, isn’t “smart blond” an oxymoron? (No, actually it isn’t…)

What I mean by “meaningful wow” is exactly that: aesthetics that actually helps/supports understanding. Tufte’s minimalism is one of the options.