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Tufte's iPhone
Edward Tufte is exploring how to improve the iPhone's interface (see the video).
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This is a great example of the things I wrote about in my article "Simplicity Rarely Means Less". By adding content and details you actually make it easier to accomplish your goals.
To clarify, add detail- Edward Tufte
Note: Although I do like many of the concepts brought forward by Edward Tufte, I rarely agree with his sense of design. For instance, I do agree that the built in stock-market application on the iPhone is not that useful, and that Tufte's concept gives investors a more valuable tool. It also seriously lacks the elements of design. Functionality needs design to become really useful.
(via Edward Tufte)
Comments
Morgan Roderick - Feb. 11, 2008
Interesting video.
I would be truly annoyed at his weathermap, as I would not get an immediate overview of the forecast, but instead would have to wait to download something (to me) insignificant that takes up half the screen.
To clarify, add big pointless satelite imagery ;-)
"Simplicity rarely means less" vs. "More is better".
In these, somewhat, modern times, the mantra should be "hide complexity from the user, but make information readily available"... how that translates into design, you can write volumes about ... or study some of the succesful, and less succesful designs out there.
Jonathan - Feb. 11, 2008
Thomas: You say about the stock data: "...Tufte's concept gives investors a more valuable tool. It also seriously lacks the elements of design." But Tufte is talking about information design here. I don't think he means the *visual* design of his example is better than the iPhone's - but the information design is (BTW the example he gives is from the chapter on sparklines in his book Beautiful Evidence*).
Morgan: Interesting reaction to the use of the weather map. Apart from your objection to the download time, why do you think the imagery is pointless?
My only criticism of the map he shows is the lack of an indication of where the user is (once the iPhone has geolocation). Otherwise, the map itself seems very sensible, assuming it shows precipitation projections.
* http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0001OR
Thomas Baekdal - Feb. 11, 2008
Tim, thanks!
Morgan, I must admit that I have often used satelite weather maps. It provides a much more reliable information about the the weather than a mere "somewhat cloudy" icon. Of course, for days when I do not plan any specific outdoor activity - the map is much more information than I need.
Jonathan, Yes you are right about that he is talking about information design - not visual design. But, I think he would benefit from adding a touch of design to his concepts.
BTW: Thanks for the link!
Jonathan - Feb. 12, 2008
Tufte has a lot to say about "adding a touch of design" to charts and graphs. He coined the phrase "chart junk" to describe visual adornment that distracts from or obscures the communication of information about data. The first rule of information design is: "Above all, show the data."
Moreover, in the video you may notice a fleeting image of a duck (well, a small building in the shape of a duck). This is from one of Tufte's books, in which he uses the term "duck" to describe the negative role of what you want to call "design" but by which in fact you mean decoration. He quotes Robert Venturi in "Learning from Las Vegas" on the subject:
"When Modern architects righteously abandoned ornament on buildings, they unconsciously designed buildings that were ornament. On promoting Space and Articulation over symbolism and ornament, they distorted the whole building into a duck. They substituted for the innocent and inexpensive practice of applied decoration on a conventional shed the rather cynical and expensive distortion of program and structure to promote a duck... It is now time to re-evaluate the once-horrifying statement of John Ruskin that architecture is the decoration of construction, but we should append the warning of Pugin: It is all right to decorate construction, but never construct decoration."
I'm a regular (and fascinated) reader of your blog, and have come to realise that a lot of what you write about are in fact ducks. That's not your fault, but I feel I have to stop you abuse the term "design" in this way. At the very least, call it decoration.
John - Feb. 12, 2008
Ask yourself. Would you rather have the weather view on the left or the weather view on the right. Tufte is a master and a great design-matician, but visually, you have to ask yourself--what would you rather have. Trust me. Someone thought about it. Waste half the space with a view only a meteorologist would like or satisfy the 90%? Sometimes more information is just that, more information.
Fred Smith - Feb. 13, 2008
I agree, I want less information. I don't know what to do with weather maps, I just want to know if it's going to rain and if I need my jacket.
I also have no idea who this Tufte guy is, but he sounds like a jerk.
He says in his best Shatner voice, "The user... scans... a hundred and fifty images arranged in a... two dimensional... small format."
What he meant to say is, "Your photos are in a grid."
He needs to take a lesson from his iPhone and say what he means, and leave out the verbose crap.
Also: "computer administrative debris." How about "user interface elements" or some other term that he didn't invent.
Ilina - Feb. 24, 2008
Tom, thanks for posting this. It is very timely to help me re-evaluate a project I am working on right now!
I agree with some comments here, that a meteorological map would be a bit useless, but at the same time I have often been annoyed myself at the lack of information on my iPhone's weather app. So Tufte does have a point regarding the necessity of more detail there.
Jonathan, great quote - Pugin: "It is all right to decorate construction, but never construct decoration.", very true when it comes to UI design.
It's all about using the power of decoration to build visual hierarchy and guide attention, but not abusing it by misplacing it; finding the thin line is the most exciting challenge for a UI designer, I think :-)
Published: Feb. 10, 2008
in Interaction Design
Thomas Baekdal is a Writer, Interaction Designer, Change Advocate and Project Manager.
Tim Skauge - Feb. 11, 2008
Thomas,
Being a person that is working with mobile devices and the process of creating user interfaces for these, I appreciate your posting of this video.
Erlier I truly belived that less was more. Strip away the details and you would have a nice none cluttered highly efficient user interface.
Seeing this video and reading your article made me change my mind.
Thanks for the enlightenment and your good work in posting interesting articles. Looking forward to more on this topic.
/Tim