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2D or Not 2D? (That Is the Question)<br />

Many design tools in Keynote and PowerPoint are quite useful, but the 3D tool<br />

is one I could very well do without. Taking 2D data and creating a 3D chart<br />

does not simplify it. The idea is that 3D may add emotion, but when it comes<br />

to charts and graphs, you should aim for simple, clean, and 2D (for 2D data).<br />

In The Zen of Creativity (Ballantine Books), author John Daido Loori says that<br />

the Zen aesthetic “reflects a simplicity that allows our attention to be drawn to<br />

that which is essential, stripping away the extra.”<br />

What is essential and what is extra is up to you, but stripping away the<br />

extra ink that 3D charts introduce seems like a good place to start. A 3D<br />

representation of 2D data increases what Edward Tufte calls the “ratio of inkto-data.”<br />

While it’s nice to have a choice, 2D charts and graphs are almost<br />

always a better solution. Three-dimensional charts appear less accurate and<br />

can be difficult to comprehend. In addition, the viewing angle of 3D charts<br />

often makes it hard to see where the data points sit on an axis. If you do use<br />

3D charts, avoid extreme perspectives.<br />

The slides on the left are examples of 3D effects that compromise the<br />

display of very simple data. The slides on the right are suggested improvements.<br />

140 Presentation Zen

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