Graph design for the eye and mind / by Stephen M. Kosslyn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kosslyn, Stephen Michael, 1948-

Contributor:

Carleton and Mary Robinson Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Graphic methods.

Experimental design--Graphic methods.

Experimental design.

Statistics--Graphic methods.

Statistics.

Physical Description:

xii, 290 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Oxford University Press, 2006.

Summary:

Graphs have become a fixture of everyday life, used in scientific and business publications, in magazines and newspapers, on television, on billboards, and even on cereal boxes. Nonetheless, surprisingly few graphs communicate effectively, and most graphs fail because they do not take into account the goals, needs, and abilities of the viewers. In Graph Design for the Eye and Mind, Stephen Kosslyn addresses these problems by presenting eight psychological principles for constructing effective graphs. Each principle is solidly rooted both in the scientific literature on how we perceive and comprehend graphs and in general facts about how our eyes and brains process visual information. Kosslyn then uses these eight psychological principles as the basis for hundreds of specific recommendations that serve as a concrete, step-by-step guide to deciding whether a graph is an appropriate display to use, choosing the correct type of graph for a specific type of data and message, and then constructing graphs that will be understood at a glance. Kosslyn also includes a complete review of the scientific literature on graph perception and comprehension, and appendices that provide a quick tutorial on basic statistics and a checklist for evaluating computer-graphics programs. Graph Design for the Eye and Mind is an invaluable reference for anyone who uses visual displays to convey information in the sciences, humanities, and businesses such as finance, marketing, and advertising.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Looking With the Eye and Mind 3

Chapter 2 Choosing a Graph Format 29

Chapter 3 Creating the Framework, Labels, and Title 75

Chapter 4 Creating Pie Graphs, Divided-Bar Graphs, and Visual Tables 111

Chapter 5 Creating Bar-Graph Variants 125

Chapter 6 Creating Line-Graph Variants and Scatterplots 141

Chapter 7 Creating Color, Filling, and Optional Components 157

Chapter 8 How People Lie With Graphs 201

Chapter 9 Beyond the Graph 227

Appendix 1 Elementary Statistics for Graphs, by R. S. Rosenberg and S. M. Kosslyn 247

Appendix 2 Analyzing Graphics Programs 255

Appendix 3 Summary of Psychological Principles 261.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-281) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Carleton and Mary Robinson Fund.

ISBN:

9780195306620

0195306627

0195311841

9780195311846

OCLC:

66526934

Online:

Publisher description

Contributor biographical information