[ddj] Why adding "bling" is not a good idea in data visualization - links to blog post from Stephen Few

Thu Mar 14 14:47:56 UTC 2013

Hi everyone,

Stephen Few, author of "Show me the numbers"  published a review about
Tableau 8 - and voices his disappointment about features that are
merely dressing up data, but not revealing new information.

One key point he makes is that any tool used for data visualization
keep a balance between needed features and dressing up data. Might
seem obvious, but is actually not easy.

Another aspect that makes this post worth reading is that in summing
up Few discusses a core list of data visualization chart types. It
might be very helpful for trainings and practical application to work
through the (reduced) list and ensure that everyone working with data
understands the differences.

Stephen Few: Tableau Veers from the Path
http://www.perceptualedge.com/blog/?p=1532

Another blog article that came up recently, discussing the same thing:

Noah Lorang (of 37signals): Three charts are all I need
http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3388-three-charts-are-all-i-need

Have a good day,
Mirko