InfoD: Bookwatch (35)

           * InfoDesign Bookwatch *   (35)


           In this message:
           1) Universal principles of design
              (W. Lidwell, K. Holden, J. Butler)
           2) Abram Games, Graphic Designer. Maximum meaning,
              minimum means (N. Games, C. Moriarty and J. Rose )
           3) Presenting numbers, tables, and charts
              (S. Bigwood and M. Spore)
           4) Visualizing technical information (L.E. Brasseur)
           5) Communicating in style (Y. Joshi)
           6) Pause and effect. The art of interactive narrative.
              (M.S. Meadows)

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1)       TITLE: Universal principles of design.

       AUTHORS: William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler

       SUMMARY: The design we see is the culmination of many
                concepts and practices brought together from a
                variety of disciplines. Because no one can be an
                expert on everything, designers have always had to
                scramble to find the information and know-how
                required to make a design work. 'Universal
                Principles of Design' is a cross-disciplinary
                reference of design. This book pairs explanations
                of the design concepts featured with visual examples
                of those concepts applied in practice. From the
                80/20 rule to chunking, from baby-face bias to
                Ockham's razor, and from self-similarity to
                storytelling, 100 design concepts are defined and
                illustrated.

CONTENTS:
Alphabetical list
Categorical list
Introduction
- How can I influence the way design is perceived?
- How can I help people learn from a design?
- How can I enhance the usability of a design?
- How can I increase the appeal of a design?
- How can I make better design decisions?
Index
Credits
Acknowledgments
About the authors

Hardback, 216 pp
Price: USD 40.00 / GBP 27.50
Published: September 2003
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
ISBN: 1-59253-007-9

Webpages about this book:
http://www.rockpub.com/books.asp?book=4&bookid=1606
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2)       TITLE: Abram Games, Graphic Designer.
                Maximum meaning, minimum means

       AUTHORS: Naomi Games, Catherine Moriarty and June Rose

       SUMMARY: Abram Games (1914-96) produced posters as well as
                stamps, book jackets and emblems, including those
                for the Festival of Britain (1951) and BBC
                Television (1953). During the Second World War he
                was appointed Official War Poster Artist and
                designed 100 posters. His personal philosophy
                of 'maximum meaning, minimum means' gave his
                works a distinctive conceptual and visual quality.

CONTENTS:
- Acknowledgements
- Over his shoulder: A personal view of Abram Games (Naomi Games)
- Abram Games: An essay on his work and its context
  (Catherine Moriarty)
- Abram Games' Jewish art (June Rose)
- Further notes from the estate of AG archive
- Published work and poster printers
- Chronology
- Exhibitions
- Awards
- Public collections
- Select bibliography
- Glossary
- Index

Hardback, 208  pp
Price: GBP 30.00
Published: November 2003
Publisher: Lund Humphries / Princeton Architectural Press
ISBN: 0 85331 881 6 / 1568983646

Webpages about this book:
http://www.lundhumphries.com/pages/single/10463.html
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3)       TITLE: Presenting numbers, tables, and charts

       EDITORS: Sally Bigwood and Melissa Spore

       SUMMARY: A book of practical advice and useful tips on how
                to present numeric information in the clearest and
                most effective way. This guide is divided into two
                sections providing both advice on what to consider
                when preparing numeric information for presentation
                and checklists, case studies, and exercises to
                aid the writer

CONTENTS:
Part A
1  Introduction
2  Handling Numbers
3  Using Tables
4  Introducing Charts
5  Using Charts
6  Table or Chart?
7  Using numbers in writing or speaking
8  Using technology

Part B
- Further reading resources
- Checklists
- Exercises
- From raw data to information: Case studies
- Glossary

Paperback, 144 pp
Price: GBP 7.99
Published: September 2003
Publisher: John Seely
ISBN: 0-19-860722-9

Webpages about this book:
http://www.oup.co.uk/isbn/0-19-860722-9
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198607229
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4)       TITLE: Visualizing technical information

        AUTHOR: Lee E. Brasseur

       SUMMARY: This book demonstrates the ways in which technical
                visuals of information design - graphs, charts,
                diagrams, tables, illustrations, and information
                visualization - are designed and read. Using genre
                theory as an analytical tool, the author makes the
                argument that problems with these visual forms are
                not necessarily the result of a designer's poor
                decisions or a reader's poor interpretation skills.
                Instead, there may be inherent problems in the
                visual genres themselves that are a direct result
                of their cultural history and current use.
                         This argument brings issues of culture
                and theory into the foreground as the key to many
                of the problems associated with information design.
                The book addresses such issues as: Can a visually
                abstracted graph represent a clear picture of an
                emotionally centered topic such as rape? Does a
                technical illustration, through its clean lines and
                context-less space, communicate efficiency about an
                object that in actual use might be inefficient? How
                can a table communicate persuasive information merely
                by its detailed numerical format when, in fact, its
                results are far from conclusive? Does the reader
                have a difficult time interpreting an idea diagram
                because the diagram was created as a heuristic,
                not as a rhetorical device? Finally, what can we
                do now and in the future to improve the communication
                abilities of these technical information designs?


CONTENTS:
1  Introduction. Examining technical visuals as genres in
   a cultural context
2  The Graph
3  Technical Illustrations
4  Charts and Diagrams
5  The Table
6  Information Visualization
7  Looking to the Future and Acting in the Present
Index

Cloth, 188 pp
Price: USD 37.95 cloth
Published: September 2003
Publisher: Baywood
ISBN: 0-89503-240-6

Webpages about this book:
http://www.baywood.com/books/previewbook.asp?id=0-89503-240-6
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5)       TITLE: Communicating in style

        AUTHOR: Yateendra Joshi

       SUMMARY: This handbook is a reference whenever you find
                yourself looking for answers to questions which
                arise routinely in communicating technical
                information formally:
                -  What should a list such as this use to mark
                   off items: bullet points, numbers, or letters?
                -  Where do you cite the source of unpublished
                   data: within the document or at the end, under
                   references?
                -  Which font makes it easier to tell apart such
                   similar-looking pairs of characters as a
                   zero (0) and the letter 'o', the numeral one (1)
                   and the letter 'ell' ('l')?
                -  When should you distribute handouts, before
                   the presentation or after?
                -  How are web pages cited when they are referred
                   to in a document?
                The main text consisting of explanations,
                suggestions, and descriptions is  supported by
                examples and quotes (from both printed sources and
                web pages) as well as references, figures, and
                useful resources.


CONTENTS:
Foreword
Preface
1  Style for effective communication: User-friendly, efficient, and distinct
2  Heads, you win; text, I lose: Signposting documents with headings
3  Make a list: Formatting and punctuating items in a series
4  Alphabet soup. Abbreviations, acronyms, contractions, symbols
5  How long is a piece of string? Notation for units of measurement
6  Setting the table: Presenting information in rows and columns
7  Figures of speech: Charts, diagrams, maps, photographs
8  Who said that? Citing and formatting sources of information
9  Remote control: Effective letters, faxes, and e-mails
10  Stand and deliver: Making effective presentations
11  Research on display: Designing effective posters
12  Publish or perish: Submitting manuscripts to journals
13  What's the point? Punctuation for clearer writing
Annexe
- Specimen reference formats
- Authority for spellings
- Observing, choosing, and using fonts
- Postal and e-mail addresses and telephone numbers
Index

Paperback, 250 pp
Price: USD 12.00 / GBP 7.50
Published: 2003
Publisher: The Energy and Resources Institute
ISBN: 81-7993-016-5

Webpages about this book:
http://www.teriin.org/pub/books/cs.htm
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6)      TITLE: Pause and effect. The art of interactive narrative.

       AUTHOR: Mark Stephen Meadows.

      SUMMARY: Interactive narrative is the cornerstone for many
               forms of digital media: web sites, interface design,
               gaming environments, and even artificial
               intelligence. In Pause & Effect, Mark Stephen
               Meadows examines the intersection of storytelling,
               visual art, and interactivity. He takes the key
               principles from these areas and applies them to
               the design, architecture, and development of
               interactive narrative. Graphic and typographic
               imagery complement design features that encourage
               interactivity through varying levels of information,
               different navigational possibilities, and even
               flip-book animations.

CONTENTS:
1  Theory and principle. The changing forms of narrative.
2  The various relationships of words and imagery
3  The longstanding relationship of narrative and architecture
4  Formal rules and guidelines given second seat to impact on
   reader


Paperback, 257 pp
Price: USD 45.00 GBP 34.99
Published: 2003
Publisher: New Riders publishers
ISBN: 0 7357 1171 2

Webpages about this book:
http://pause-effect.com/
http://www.newriders.com
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InfoDesign Bookwatch is compiled and edited by Piet Westendorp
and Karel van der Waarde. Suggestions for titles are welcome,
and may be sent to: [email protected]
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