Design@SUNYIT: COM320 Project One: Reading Information

Edward Tufte declares right up front that one of the key goals of any information graphic is to “avoid distorting what the data have to say.” Please note that Tufte does not say that information graphics must not distort the data, as that would mostly likely be an impossible goal. It is important, though, to recognize that every graphic presentation involves some interpretive demands upon the naked data. As such, it is important that designers become well versed in the pitfalls of designing with information.

For this project you will using two data sets: 1] the daily weather in New York City and Washington DC, and 2] the final daily values of Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ Composite Index, and the S&P 500 for the entire month of July. With this information you will create two information graphic systems [charts], each of which will tell a different story using the same information. You will, in fact, be using information that has no causal relationship, but the first of your designs will need to produce the graphic implication that there is indeed a causal relationship while the other will attempt merely to present the information as unrelated while it still shares some common space. You will be expected to explore different approaches to this assignment; while it will necessarily follow some form of a time-series design, there are many ways to approach the issue. Utilize the examples from Tufte to foster ideas.

Your designs will be executed in Adobe Illustrator; each design will need to fit on standard letter paper; each design must be black & white, and may use only one typeface. Make sure you clearly differentiate different bits of data, label elements effectively, and develop some method for guiding the viewer to the intended conclusions. All of these things should be achieved with a minimum of explanation.

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