#31101
Accessible Data Visualization with Web Standards
When designing interfaces for browsing data-driven sites, creating navigation elements that are also visualization tools helps the user make better decisions. Wilson Miner demonstrates three techniques for incorporating data visualization into standards-based navigation patterns.
Minor, Wilson. List Apart, A (2008). Design>Web Design>Graphic Design>Charts and Graphs
#26154
Accessible Graphs and Charts Online
Most government web writers are knowledgeable about alt-text by now... or at least semi-knowledgeable. But sometimes, alt-text is not enough.
McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2004). Design>Accessibility>Web Design>Charts and Graphs
#29270
Affinity diagramming is a categorization method where users sort various concepts into several categories. This method is used by a team to organize a large amount of data according to the natural relationships between the items.
IAwiki. Articles>Information Design>Charts and Graphs>Card Sorting
#23021
Bring Data to Life: Art and Information Can Complement Each Other
Using Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand to create better charts, graphs, technical diagrams.
Abes, Cathy. MacWorld (2001). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#13762
When it comes to graphing data, most professionals show little method or creativity. They typically limit themselves to a small repertoire of graph types and select from it on the basis of habit, if not sheer ease of production. Similarly, the many books on graphing devote much attention to graphical integrity and readability, but little or none to graph selection. We developed a methodology to help engineers, scientists, and managers choose the “right graph” on the basis of three criteria: the structure of the data set in terms of number and type of variables, the intended use of the graph, and the research question or intended message. The first and third criteria allow one to construct an effective two-entry selection table.
Doumont, Jean-luc and Philippe Vandenbroeck. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication (2002). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#10358
Conflicting Standards for Designing Data Displays: Following, Flouting, and Reconciling Them 
Standards for designing data displays—for example, bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, scatter plots—can be classified into four types: Conventional—emphasis on imitating generic forms that meet readers’ expectations. Perceptual—emphasis on optimizing reader behavior in accessing data visually. Informational—emphasis on transferring information clearly and concisely from designer to reader. Aesthetic—emphasis on taste, cultural values, and expressive elements. While each of these standards has merit, and some overlap occurs among them, they often conflict with each other, leaving the information designer in a quandary as to which standard to follow. Designers can resolve this dilemma by allowing the rhetorical situation—the readers of the display, its purpose, the context in which they use it—to guide the design process, telling designers when to follow, blend, or flout the standards.
Kostelnick, Charles. Technical Communication Online (1998). Design>Information Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#30850
Creating Appropriate Graphics for Business Situations
Charts and graphs are ubiquitous in business documents, and most students in my business communication courses are well aware that they need to be able to create many different types of data representation. Most of them have had a great deal of experience working with spreadsheet applications, and they know how to manipulate data and present it in the various forms permitted by their software.
Katz, Susan M. Business Communication Quarterly (2008). Articles>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs
#13688
Creating More Effective Graphs: Trellis Display 
Trellis display is a framework for visualizing multivariate data. The outcomes collected during an early agricultural experiment on the yields of barley are displayed using Trellis, which in the case study discussed revealed an anomaly in the data which was overlooked during many conventional statistical analyses of these data.
Robbins, Naomi B. STC Proceedings (1999). Presentations>Graphic Design>Charts And Graphs
#29052
Critiquing the Culture of Computer Graphing Practices
This paper is a critique of current approaches to the development of computer graphing and graph visualization programs. Developers of these programs model the user as an individual problem solver who is reliant on perceptual skills to create and interpret graphed information. Such a model of graphing is ill-suited to meet the complex needs of real users, a supposition that is supported by work in two major areas of graphing theory and research: the sociology of science and the educational research of mathematics and scientific students. These areas have not been traditionally cited when planning computer graphing or visualization programs or when assessing their usability. A review of the literature in these fields reveals that an over-reliance on a user's perceptual skills is unlikely to result in successful graph practices.
Brasseur, Lee. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2001). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#29335
Tufte shares Orwell's impatience with doublethink and humbuggery, his insight that bad thinking and bad expression travel in a pair, and his awareness that they are usually deployed in the service of some brand of propaganda.
Rosenberg, Scott. Salon (1997). Articles>Interviews>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs
#23694
Most technical writers use much more care in choosing words than in presenting numbers. The writer who presents numbers poorly loses credibility. Poorly presented numbers also cause reader misunderstanding that leads to poor decisions.
Robbins, Naomi B. MetroVoice (2002). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#23679
Don't Fool with Graphs, Part II 
Using evenly spaced tick marks to represent different time intervals is a common error which has been repeated several times in recent STC publications and presentations.
Robbins, Naomi B. MetroVoice (2003). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#25159
Knowledge to help prepare professional time elements.
Kubik, Rick. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Design>Information Design>Graphic Design>Charts and Graphs
#23537
General guidelines for illustrative figures in technical reports.
Young, V.L. and K.J. Sampson. Ohio University (2004). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#24975
Flowcharting Processes and Procedures
This discussion offers participants an overview of what process and procedure flowchorting is in the technical communication's universe of charting. The discussion distinguishes between information for “process” verses “procedure” and from other types of information. The discussion presents standards for using basic symbols and assembling them for effective and efficient communication design. The discussion presents various styles and formats for presenting process and procedures flowcharts, along with tools and techniques for creating and using flowcharts.
Urgo, Raymond E. STC Proceedings (1994). Design>Graphic Design>Charts and Graphs
#22007
El proyecto genoma humano (PGH) genera un volumen de información inabordable sin el uso de medios sofisticados para su tratamiento. La visualización de información tiene aquí un gran campo de aplicación.
Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2002). (Spanish) Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#21185
A hypothetical example to help technical communicators think through ethical issues in the workplace.
Bryan, John G. Intercom (2003). Articles>Graphic Design>Ethics>Charts and Graphs
#20670
The InfoGraphics mailing list is a forum for anybody who is interested in the design of diagrams, maps and charts.
Yahoo. Resources>Mailing Lists>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#22003
Los mapas conceptuales son instrumentos de representación del conocimiento sencillos y prácticos, que permiten transmitir con claridad mensajes conceptuales complejos y facilitar tanto el aprendizaje como la enseñanza. Para mayor abundamiento, adoptan la forma de grafos.
Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2004). (Spanish) Design>Information Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#23150
Planning and Editing Tables and Charts
Reviewing and suggesting changes to tables and charts are important responsibilities of editors. Improvements a knowledgeable editor might suggest include the following: revising table titles, selecting the best table design, converting landscape to portrait orientation, adopting a more effective style, choosing the right chart form, and guarding against misleading charts. Editors who have had little training or experience in this area will benefit from attending specific courses and studying the texts listed in the bibliography.
Mann, Gerald A. STC Proceedings (1996). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#28546
Preparing Effective Charts and Graphs
This tutorial presents a brief overview of the process of preparing charts and graphs using a spreadsheet program. It introduces you to important design principles to consider as you prepare your charts and graphs and helps you analyze their design.
Munger, Roger H. Bedford-St. Martin's (2007). Design>Document Design>Charts and Graphs
#24239
Presenting Quantitative Information Effectively
Many of the graphical constructions we see in the media and learned in school have severe perceptual problems. Newer and better methods are available based on research and experimentation in human perception. However, these newer methods are often hidden in the scientific literature. Software packages for graphical displays can add to the problem since their defaults often emphasize their technological know-how rather than the accurate display of data. In addition, graphic designers and artists are not necessarily trained in statistics. Recognizing that these problems exist is the key to solving them. The references provide guidance for effective data displays.
Robbins, Naomi B. STC Proceedings (1999). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#30547
Proposal Flowchart Excellence: Ten Rules for Scoring on Top
'Flowcharts-- UGH!' That's a too-typical reader reaction when faced with the average flowchart. It underscores the author's challenge when trying to develop this potentially powerful tool. For conveying process, there is no better means. In proposals, however, where the flowchart must also serve as a sales tool, its optimum form is not always clear. This paper provides some guidelines, such as: Ensuring your flow is a process of merit. Letting goals dictate form. Organizing for readability. Focusing on action. Using simple, standard visuals. Illuminating features. And obviating responsiveness... To reap the winning rewards.
Green, R. Dennis. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#21814
Recommendations for Charts and Graphics
The Recommendations for Chart and Graphic comprise guidelines for the use of charts, graphics, images, colors and text.
SAP Design Guild (2003). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
#21659
Reglas Para Estropear un Gráfico
Los buenos gráficos son los que no se notan, los que soportan y enseñan los datos sin interferir con ellos. Repasamos algunas de las reglas para hacer mal un gráfico.
Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2002). (Spanish) Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Charts and Graphs
