![]() Lie Factor = size of effect show in in graphicĪs Tufte reviews misleading visualizations, he calculates the Lie Factor on each one. ![]() His formula to determine the honesty of a graphic is: ![]() Tufte spends a lot of time reviewing poor graphics which were printed in major publications. As data visualizers, we have to fight the tendency to put all data available in one graph. This is an important distinction, as adding data to a chart has diminishing returns. ![]() Tufte also defines graphical excellence as “that which gives to the viewer the greatest number of ideas in the shortest time with the least ink in the smallest space.” What I find interesting about this definition is the delineation between greatest number of ideas not the greatest number of data points. Tufte states we should “show data variation, not design variation.” Graphical excellence is complex ideas communicated with clarity, precision, and efficiency. ![]() Graphical excellence is the well-designed presentation of interesting data. I read this book searching for lessons which are still relevant, as well as some items which might be a bit dated. Written in 1983 (some updates were included in the printing of the second edition was printed in 2001), it is almost always found at the top of any data visualization recommended reading list. Edward Tufte’s The Visual Display of Quantitative Information was one of the first books which provided a comprehensive analysis on how to properly construct data visualizations. ![]()
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