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September 14, 2007
Micro/Macro Readings by Tymm (Timothy)
I'm also using Armin's login since my login was denied.
I found this reading very interesting on a number of points. The mention of visual memory being very limited very much struck me (especially as I do not consider myself to be a very visual person, and have often considered lack of short-term visual memory to somehow be tied to more personal limitations). From my experience, however, the difficulties in processing information that can arise from this come largely from large immediate shifts in scale, e.g. with many online mapping programs the shift from one scale to another can often disrupt the recognition of how information provided at one scale connects to information provided at another scale (e.g. shifting from a view of an entire city to a neighborhood scale, it can be difficult to tell how the neighborhood fits into the city as a whole, how to navigate through the city to arrive at the neighborhood, how to travel from one neighborhood to another). I would suggest, however, that allowing a smooth transition from one scale to another, at the users control (realtime scaling) can overcome this limitation and avoid difficulties in shifting between scales; if a user/consumer is able to follow a continuous mental thread in shifting between scales, and can navigate up and down the macro/micro scale, the shift becomes much easier and the information is easier to process.
As far as his discussion of good communication not being a function of simplicity, I would agree strongly in the general case -- thinking especially of the "engine trouble" light that has plagued so many recent cheaper automobiles as opposed to gauges and indicators that provide much more information and are much better at communicating the seriousness and type of problem a car might be experiencing. I would however suggest that clutter in the name of sharing all information that may possibly be desired can be just as serious of a design issue -- in my experience, excessively complex displays of information often lead to "mental shutdown" and users ignoring (or even simply being unable to find) important information (I've had this in several cases over the past few years with newer microwave control panels -- and I consider myself to be very good with understanding technical interfaces quickly).
Regarding Tufte's assertion that simplicity can lead to a level of mistrust, I would agree with this statement in many cases -- but I'd like to add that I think this is linked to the idea of control. By limiting what information a viewer has available, a designer/author is also limiting their choices, limiting their focus, and ultimately potentially influencing decisions made by the reader/consumer. If the designer/author has not somehow already gained the trust of the reader/consumer, it makes sense that this could create a sense of distrust in the information being presented.
In general, I think when presenting information it is important to anticipate what information a reader/consumer will want access to and try to find a way to present as much of that information as possible without creating an excessively difficult to navigate display.
As a sidenote, I did very much appreciate his lunar phase example; I think it very concisely and cleanly presents the phases of the moon, and I find it very aesthetically pleasing as well -- however I would claim that this example is as much art as science; one cannot just follow simple rules to always create something as usable and pleasing.
Posted by Armin at September 14, 2007 10:27 PM