Visual Strategies: A Practical Guide to Graphics for Scientists and Engineers - Softcover

Frankel, Felice C.; DePace, Angela H.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300176449 ISBN 13: 9780300176445

Verlag: Yale University Press, 2012

Inhaltsangabe

For researchers in all disciplines, this book offers a practical, hands-on course in communicating scientific findings and concepts through visual graphics

Any scientist or engineer who communicates research results will immediately recognize this practical handbook as an indispensable tool. The guide sets out clear strategies and offers abundant examples to assist researchers―even those with no previous design training―with creating effective visual graphics for use in multiple contexts, including journal submissions, grant proposals, conference posters, or presentations.

Visual communicator Felice Frankel and systems biologist Angela DePace, along with experts in various fields, demonstrate how small changes can vastly improve the success of a graphic image. They dissect individual graphics, show why some work while others don't, and suggest specific improvements. The book includes analyses of graphics that have appeared in such journals as Science, Nature, Annual Reviews, Cell, PNAS, and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as an insightful personal conversation with designer Stefan Sagmeister and narratives by prominent researchers and animators.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Felice C. Frankel is a research scientist in the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at MIT and the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her work in visual communication. Among her previous books is Envisioning Science: The Design and Craft of the Science Image. Angela H. DePace is an assistant professor in the Department of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School, where her lab studies the mechanism and evolution of gene regulation.  They both live in Boston. Stefan Sagmeister, a leading graphic designer and typographer, has a design firm in New York City.   

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VISUAL STRATEGIES

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GRAPHICS FDR SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS

By Felice C. Frankel, Angela H. DePace

Yale UNIVERSITY PRESS

Copyright © 2012 Felice C. Frankel and Angela H. DePace
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-300-17644-5

CHAPTER 1

OVERVIEW

WHY THISGUIDE?

Graphics—visual representations of scientific data and concepts—arecritical components of science and engineering research. Images engage usin ways that words cannot. Explanatory graphics can clarify or strengthenan argument by guiding us through data or concepts. Exploratory graphicsdraw us into the research process, allowing us to discover patterns andrelationships ourselves.

Visual representations have long been a significant part of any scientist's andengineer's research. Until fairly recently it was standard practice for universitiesand research institutions to hire specialists to help researchers visuallycommunicate their work. Now the research community is primarily responsiblefor crafting its own graphics—and yet the typical researcher's trainingrarely includes the development of such skills and sensibilities.

This guide will help you create more effective graphics to support yourwork. Together, we will explore specific examples from journal articles,presentations, grant submissions, and other scientific contexts. We willmake practical suggestions, based on our work with science and engineeringresearchers, to help you answer the question, "What is the best graphic tocommunicate my work?"

It is important to remember that a visual representation of a scientific concept(or data) is a re-presentation, and not the thing itself—some interpretationor translation is always involved. There are many parallels betweencreating a graphic and writing an article. First, you must carefully plan whatto "say," and in what order you will "say it." Then you must make judgmentsto determine a hierarchy of information—what must be included and whatcould be left out? The process of making a visual representation requiresyou to clarify your thinking and improve your ability to communicate withothers. Furthermore, the process of making an effective graphic often leadsto new insights into your work; when you make decisions about how todepict your data and underlying concepts, you must often clarify your basicassumptions.

What we provide in the pages of this guide is an approach: a set of strategiesthat are a distillation of what we have learned, both independently andin collaborative projects, over many years. We believe these strategies willhelp you create improved representations of your work. These strategiesmight even make you reconsider your discipline's classic visualizations andask yourself, "How effectively do the standard approaches communicate?"Whether you are inventing a new representation or updating a classic, weencourage you to invest the time to create a good graphic. The best oneshave the power to shape new thinking and approaches in your field.

SPEAKING OFDESIGN:A CONVERSATION

We were privileged to work with designer Stefan Sagmeister for this guide.In many ways, good design is the kernel that began our thinking for thisproject. In addition to seeing his design on these pages, we wanted to bringyou his voice.

FCF, AHD The fact that you decided to design our book is pretty remarkable for us,Stefan. Is science something you were always interested in?

SKS No, not at all, in fact I had little interest in science when I was in school,received average grades, and took science education for the most part as anecessary evil. I only developed an interest after going to TED and hearingfrom all these amazing people talking about all these amazing developments.

FCF, AHD We have always believed there has been a desperate need for talented graphicdesigners to participate in the process of communicating scientific data andconcepts. Our readers might not immediately see the connection betweenyour world and theirs. We wonder if you can help them think about it.

SKS During the last decade scientific research has made fantastic progress, butthis has often been poorly communicated. This is true for communicationsbetween various scientific fields, science communications within peerreviewed media, as well as how science is treated in mass media.

FCF, AHD When you first saw some of the figures we were going to include, the"befores," did you see a visual thread of some sort in terms of the mistakesmost researchers make?

SKS I was surprised to see a lot of very basic design mistakes. It seems manyscientists creating complex visualizations are not aware of simple rulesregarding color, form, or hierarchy. In numerous cases all it would taketo fix this would be a design 101 course.

FCF, AHD That would be a fantastic idea, but realistically, in our experience, mostresearchers wouldn't give it the time. So, what would you think about thepossibility of engaging more designers in the process? For example, do youthink design schools might offer a specialized course for scientific graphics?

SKS Yes, I am convinced there is a tremendous interest among design students,specifically at the master's programs. Many are disillusioned with workingfor the commercial sector and would love the opportunity to sharpen theirdesign skills dealing with content that engages their minds to the fullest.

FCF, AHD Do you think the design community would embrace the idea of workingon material with which they are not familiar? Do you think it would beimportant for designers to understand the material?

SKS Yes and yes. Designers work with unfamiliar material all the time; learningabout a new sector, business, or scientific process is a very integral part ofthe job (and I'd say one part that makes that job rather enjoyable). And yes,they had better understand the material; otherwise, innovative thinking orfocused visualization will be impossible.

FCF, AHD And specifically addressing Visual Strategies, if you remember our meetingon that hot NYC day on your office terrace, your request to place a subtle5% yellow background behind all the images was a concern for the two ofus. We were worried, as most scientists tend to be, that we were changingthe data in a way—that we were augmenting the original content. However,you made the case that the design of the book warranted the change. Weare sure our readers will have their own opinions about that matter. Theywill have the opportunity to discuss the issue with us on our online VisualStrategies forum [see Appendix]. Can you clarify how a change like thatbenefits the design, and, more important, in general, what is your advice ondesign changes to a figure in science?

SKS This is a wonderful question: whether a visualization should be more"objective" or "subjective" comes up in various ways on almost every singlejob. Are we communicating more effectively by placing more value on theoverall form or are we better off sticking to the process in a literal way? Willmore people understand if we use a sexy visual conceit or are we better offsticking to established modernism?

Does the colorization undermine or promote understanding? In the case ofthe cream backgrounds within this book, I myself don't see a problem at all.They simply are a more orderly way of organizing the graphics on the page,a more sophisticated alternative to the black hairline.

FCF, AHD Thanks so much, Stefan. The process of working with you has inspired usto think differently about creating scientific graphics. Let's hope that morescientists and engineers will have the opportunity to closely collaborate withdesigners.

Acknowledgments

In 2003, after the two of us serendipitously met at a Gordon Research Conference(GRC) on visualization in science and education, one of us wrote tothe other, "One way to emphasize common ground and to begin to definea vocabulary of visual solutions would be to organize the discussion aroundcategories of visual solutions rather than around the specific concepts beingrepresented." And so, without knowing it at the time, we began work on thisguide. We are grateful to the GRC for creating an environment where excitingcollaborative ideas are encouraged to take root.

We first worked together on the Image and Meaning conferences and workshopsat MIT (www.imageandmeaning.org). We extend our deepest thanksto the National Science Foundation for funding those national participatoryworkshops at which scores of researchers and graphic designers came togetherto investigate new approaches to the development of scientific graphics. Weare grateful to all the Image and Meaning participants and workshop leaders,with a special thanks to Rebecca Perry and Rosalind Reid, who were alsoinstrumental in the development of this guide.

Visual Strategies would have never been possible without the generosity ofall the contributors whose exemplary work is displayed in the pages of thisguide, along with their names and affiliations. We are indebted to them allfor their patience and responsiveness.

We are grateful to the journals and researchers who granted us permission touse their figures for our discussions. We would like to specifically thank theillustrators at Annual Reviews (AR), including Doug Beckner, Glenda Mahoney,Fiona Martin, and Eliza Jewett-Hall, for not only sharing their ownwork, but also for diligently searching through the issues of AR for relevantgraphics. Our deepest gratitude is extended to the editors of AR: Ike Burke,Veronica Padilla, and Jennifer Jongsma, for their enthusiasm and support forthis project.

Thanks to the DePace lab and Systems Biology Department at HarvardMedical School for cheerfully providing critical feedback on the guide's usefulnessfor practicing scientists, and to Robin Heyden, Rachael Brady, andRebecca Ward for their additional comments and guidance.

Our deepest thanks go to Karen Gulliver for her expertise in editing oursometimes-not-so-readable prose; to Teddy Blanks of CHIPS, a NYC-baseddesign studio, for his outstanding efforts in implementing and augmentingStefan's design; to Michelle Suave, who helped with initial layouts; and toJean Thomson Black at Yale University Press for her years of experience andsavvy in shepherding projects through all the systems.

And finally, creative work is never possible without the continued patienceand support of our friends and family, who we simply cannot thank enough.

— Felice Frankel and Angela DePace, Boston 2011

A ROADMAP:HOW TO USETHIS GUIDE

GUIDEORGANIZATION

Form and Structure, Process and Time, Compare and Contrast

The first three chapters will help you define the purpose of your graphic.We identify three major types of scientific graphics: those that illustrateform and structure; those that illustrate processes over space and time; andthose that encourage readers to compare and contrast. We explore examplesof each of these types used in current research; we define the purpose of thegraphic, suggest improvements, and present a revised version. You mightnote that some of the examples could comfortably reside in more than onechapter, which points to interesting overlaps in concepts and principles.

Case Studies

In this chapter, we explore selected works by researchers and designersin depth, written in their own words. Along with the "before" and "after"figures, the text describes the process and includes the "in-betweens,"with explanations of their decisions. The stories describe the evolutionof selected figures and animations—and how the researchers' thinkingshaped the process.

Interactive Graphics

In this chapter we take a closer look at interactive graphics. Some areexplanatory animations. Some are exploratory graphics, sometimes calleddata visualizations. In both cases, we describe what the interactivity brings tothe graphic. The lessons learned about static graphics in the first four chapterswill also apply to these interactive examples. The principles are the same.The strategies in this book are fundamental to any form of visual expressionand will always provide a solid starting point for thinking about your visualexpression, regardless of its final form.

Visual Index

Here you will find a grid of images relevant to each example in the guideand citations for each for quick visual reference.

Appendix

The Appendix contains a brief description of the website associated with thisbook and suggested further readings.

GUIDEDESIGN

The design of this guide reflects the way in which we hope you will use it:as a source of inspiration and as a workbook to refine your critical thinkingskills regarding graphics. We present a great variety of examples becausewe think that the best way to learn how to make effective graphics isby dissecting why some graphics are effective and others are not—anddetermining how they can be improved. We also present the strategies usedto create each graphic in a succinct visual format, to allow you to quickly seehow these strategies are applied in multiple contexts.

Show by Example

Throughout these pages, we explore different types of graphics to illustratehow they were imagined, created, and refined. We encourage you to considerall of the examples—static images and animations—because it is our beliefthat the challenges in making good graphics are consistent across differentdisciplines and all types of representations. Many examples are displayed ontwo-page spreads to demonstrate how a figure can be improved, represented bya "before" (on the left) and an "after" (on the right) version. A caption providesa brief description of the image and its reference (see the example above). Weoffer brief answers to the following questions: Who is the audience? For whomis your figure intended? How will it be used? In what format will the graphicappear, e.g., a journal article, textbook, grant submission, presentation? Whatis the goal? What do you want the viewer to see? What is the challenge? Whatis difficult about achieving that goal?

We then offer suggestions for improving the graphic—suggestions made eitherby us or by the researcher or designer credited in the caption. There is, of course,not a single correct way to visually represent data or concepts. In fact, youmight disagree with how we arrived at a particular "after" representation—oryou may have additional ideas for improving an illustration. We welcome thoseconversations and invite you to share them on our website forum (see Appendix).We hope that these examples will encourage debate and help you develop ananalytical approach to creating graphics—just as scientists do in their research.

Tabs

The colored tabs on the right edge of the pages identify the chapters of theguide. We included tabs to visually separate the different sections, andto allow you to easily find a section that interests you. Form and Structure,Process and Time, and Compare and Contrast, marked with orange tabs,identify simple concepts that can be tackled in preparing graphics. In CaseStudies (with a yellow-orange tab) and Interactive Graphics (a chartreuse tab),these concepts are explored in more depth.

Graphical Tools Grid

On the bottom right of each two-page spread you will find a grid to help youquickly identify which graphical tools were used in each example to achieve thegoals of the adjoining graphic. Dots indicate which tools are used in the figure:Gray dots indicate tools that were used in the original graphic, and remainunchanged. Orange dots indicate tools that were used to improve the figure.

YOUR FIRST STEP:ASK YOURSELFBEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. Is the graphic explanatory or exploratory (perhaps even interactive)?

Explanatory graphics are used to communicate a point or call attention topatterns and concepts. Explanatory graphics can be used as evidence or proofin research, and can be teaching tools for colleagues and students. Theycan also be powerful teaching tools for you, the person creating them. Theprocess of planning a graphic requires you to first clarify the primary pointof the graphic—what the figure should include. Explanatory graphics can alsobe interactive, such as animated images that the viewer can play, pause, andreverse. Static explanatory graphics are considered in Form and Structure, Processand Time, Compare and Contrast, and Case Studies. Interactive explanatorygraphics are considered in Interactive Graphics.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from VISUAL STRATEGIES by Felice C. Frankel, Angela H. DePace. Copyright © 2012 Felice C. Frankel and Angela H. DePace. Excerpted by permission of Yale UNIVERSITY PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Yale University Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2012
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0300176449
• ISBN 13: 9780300176445
• Einband: Tapa blanda
• Anzahl der Seiten: 160
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar