GE - Billy Blue Communication Design

Edward Tufte’s book,
The Visual Display of
Quantitative Information
(Graphics Press, Cheshire,
Connecticut, 1983) includes
the table shown at the right.
It highlights the differences
between graphics that are
friendly and easily understood
and those that are unfriendly
and obscure.
04
If prepared correctly, charts and graphs can
communicate ideas and relationships more
effectively than a simple table. A chart can give
coherence to large quantities of numbers,
and it can facilitate comparisons among various
types of data. A graph can provide a wealth of
information at a glance.
Nevertheless, there are dangers in using such
visual aids. Edward Tufte, a Yale professor,
consults with TV networks, corporations, and the
U.S. government on the display of statistics.
Writing in the American Institute of Graphic Arts’
Journal of Graphic Design, he discusses the tendency
to overuse graphics when preparing charts:
The excuse for decoration is often,“The data is boring,
and we need to make it come alive.” Well, if the numbers
are boring, then you’ve got the wrong numbers.
Decoration won’t save the day. Note the hidden assumption
here that the audience for graphics is probably
somewhat thick-headed, requiring a visual trick to
induce them to look at some numbers. We should reject
the quality-corrupting doctrines that numbers are boring
and that graphics are for those with short attention
spans. These doctrines blame the victims (the data and
the audience) rather than the perpetrators. Finally,
garish but data-starved graphics reduce the credibility
of presentations, for most audiences will have a natural
suspicion of hyped graphics. Who would trust a chart
that looks like a video game?
Friendly Unfriendly
Section 04: Charts & Graphs
Introduction
Type is set in upper- and lowercase letters. Type is set in all capital letters.
Words are spelled out. Abbreviations abound, requiring the viewer to sort through
Mysterious and elaborate encoding is avoided. text to decode abbreviations.
Words run from left to right, the usual direction Words run vertically, particularly along the Y-axis.
for reading occidental languages. Words run in several different directions.
Little messages help explain data. Graphic is cryptic, requiring repeated references
to scattered text.
Elaborately encoded shadings, crosshatching, and colors Obscure coding requires going back and forth between
are avoided; instead, labels are placed on the graphic itself: legend and graphic.
no legend is required.
Graphic attracts viewer and provokes curiosity. Graphic is repellent, filled with “chart junk.”
GE Identity Program 248, Presentations GE Identity Website: www.ge.com/identity
248.04.01
When preparing a presentation chart, consider
the following:
• Is a chart the best way to communicate the information?
Often, a table is easier to understand.
• Is the kind of chart selected the best for the
situation? There are many alternatives to rows
of bars and wedges of pie.
• Is a key or legend required or can the material
be labeled directly?
• Is the page cluttered? To simplify the presentation,
can the information be combined into
fewer charts or can some of the data be carried
over to another page? Can the explanatory type
and labels be better organized?
On the following pages of this section,
• at the top are some typical GE charts prepared
before these guidelines were developed
• at the bottom are the same charts redesigned
to simplify the information and make it easier
to read
Note: The guidelines in Section 04 apply to all
presentation materials, regardless of form.