nformation Dashboard Design: Displaying Data for at-a-glance Monitoring

Stephen Few

This is a fantastic resource packed full of examples of good and bad dashboards. In explaining how

to create great dashboards, Stephen Few also does a great introduction to the principles of the

theory of data visualisation and design. I would also recommend any ofStephen Few's other books,

but this one is the most accessible.

Beautiful VisualizationLooking at Data through the Eyes of Experts

Julie Steele, Noah Iliinsky

This book describes the design and development of some well-known visualisations. It's a great way

to learn how others approach visual design. The thing I liked most about this book is that every

single author describes the collection and cleaning of their data as being the hardest part of any

project. It was heartening to know that this is a pain point for all of us!

The Accidental Analyst: Show Your Data Who's Boss

Eileen and Stephen McDaniel

This book is about what to do when you find yourself needing to do analytics projects, but you

weren't trained as an analyst. Lots of us find ourselves in this position today. We have access to

data, but maybe our background is in sales, HR, or operations. It's a great template for breaking

down the project into distinct segments and delivering something successful and effective.

The Functional Art

Alberto Cairo

This is my favourite book of the last few years. Alberto Cairo is a data journalist and teaches

information graphics and visualisation. What is great about this book is that it explains how important

it is to stick as close to best-practices as possible but also ensure that your work is beautiful in order

to engage the end user.

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

Edward Tufte

This is a classic book, first published in 1983. It covers the theory and design of data graphics and is

illustrated with some of the best and worst examples. Now 30 years old, it is beginning to seem a bit

dated, but it still remains a classic and a great introduction to some core theories.

Cartographies of Time: A History of the Timeline

Daniel Rosenberg

If you want to read up on the history of data visualisation, this is my favourite book. It focuses on the

development of representing time in charts, but is fascinating and, reassuringly, reveals that the

challenges we face today in data visualisation are similar to those faced hundreds of years ago.

Information Graphics

Sandra Rendgen, Julius Wiedemann

This is a huge coffee table book. It has over 400 examples of information graphics from around the

world, covering journalism art, government, education, business and more. There are also some

introductory essays on data visualisation history and theory, and data journalism. Most of the work is

not the kind of stuff you would attempt to do in Tableau, but I found it an inspiring book showing the

art of the possible.

Visual Thinking for Design

Colin Ware

If you are interested in the science behind data visualisation, this book is amazing. It's a great

introduction to design and cognitive psychology. An understanding of this will make you a better

visualistion designer.

Comments