Edward Tufte takes a critical look at Powerpoint in this short pamphlet.
Given the extent to which presentation software has insinuated itself into both the boardroom and the classroom, this four year old book maintains its relevance. Give it a quick read (it's available in Simmons' Library).
It won't tell you how to make a better presentation, but it will explain the pitfalls of presentation software such as Powerpoint, and why an expert such as Tufte questions its value. As you may guess from the cover, he is not a fan. ;)
Posted: February 8, 2008 3:33 pm by Shaun Gummere | 1 comment
Tags: edward tufte, powerpoint, presentations
For those interested in information design (and increasingly, most everyone should have at least a passing knowledge of the basic principles), the "Ask E.T." section of Edward Tufte's blog should be in your bookmarks.
Here, Tufte, a professor emeritus of political science, computer science and statistics, and graphic design at Yale (which gives some flavor of the range of his areas of expertise and influence), answers questions posed by visitors on a number of interesting topics. Many of the discussions reveal the participants as authorities in their own rights, and provide avenues for further exploration by reference to links and other source material.
Ask E.T. Forum at edwardtufte.com
For further information on Tufte, Google him or check out his Wikipedia entry.
Incidentally, my favorite books by him include Envisioning Information and Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. These titles are both highly recommended.
Posted: January 22, 2008 11:17 am by Shaun Gummere | 0 comments
Tags: edward tufte, information design
