Reading response 1

Data-Ink and Graphical Redesign – Edward Tufte

This chapter lays emphasis on how data graphics should present the substance of the data so that it is quick and easy for reader’s to understand what the graphic is about. But isn’t that the whole point of data graphics? Not to say that these graphics can’t be presented in newer ways that are compelling and informative at the same time. I found the concepts covered – data-ink ratio, erasing principles and redundancy – common sense and things that can be easily overlooked when designing data graphics. Nonetheless, practicing these principles will prove to be useful in creating effective work.

The Database as System and Cultural Form: Anatomies of Cultural Narratives – Christiane Paul

This paper cites some great examples which would’ve been a lot better accompanied by images. It occurred to me that databases are such an integral part of our lives. Our daily interactions with databases in various forms are so common that they can be easily overlooked. All our information is held in these databases and can be utilized to draw relationships between various parameters to yield a variety of different and interesting stories. The concept of meta-narrative and how this is different from traditional narrative is interesting. The paper also talks about data structure and various forms in which it can be represented. This made me think about how the amount of databases and data is growing every second. And how the internet, which holds a lot of this data, has changed the world we live in today by making information easily accessible. There need to eventually be quicker and more efficient ways to store and access data as it grows so that future generations can benefit from these huge banks of information as we have and are from what is currently out there.