Cathching up on some blog-reading I stumbled across this link. The post, Information Visualization Manifesto, is more “10-tips” than Manifesto, but still a valuable read nonetheless.
Though I do have one (sort of major) qualm. Manuel Lima writes:
The power of Narrative
Human beings love stories and storytelling is one of the most successful and powerful ways to learn, discover and disseminate information. Your project should be able to convey a message and easily encapsulate a compelling narrative.
Do not glorify Aesthetics
Aesthetics are an important quality to many Information Visualization projects and a critical enticement at first sight, but it should always be seen as a consequence and never its ultimate goal.
I understand that there has been quite a bit of purpose-creep from aesthetic generative art to data visualization, but that doesn’t excuse his oversight of the power of emotional connection in a narrative structure. He seems to go halfway there by recognizing the power of narrative and storytelling, but I’d love to see him go further and recognize that, as with photo-journalism, aesthetics aid the user’s acceptance of the message and help to emphasize facets of the composition that support the narrative arc you’re attempting to convey.
Though I may just feel this way ’cause I’m a designer and that’s what I do…