Bissantz ponders

What else can we gain from all the extra space won through compact charts and information-dense visualizations? Insight, of course!

We've already explored a laid-back approach to management reporting. For the more athletically inclined, we have a high-performance alternative. The key? Resolution.

When managers and statistics collide, less is often more. In general, however, there are not enough statistics in data visualizations. The only requirement is that they need to be robust.

Dense, straightforward charts are rare. As a student, I was amazed how the graphic designers at management consultancies worked with such meticulous detail. Years later, I am convinced that we simply [...]

Even though they still have a shred of hope in the UEFA Cup, it is no secret that Nuremberg does not have the best soccer players in the German Bundesliga. The best soccer charts, however, do come from [...]

Presenting information in the context of space often goes awry. It’s so easy to manipulate the reader. Even though maps are nice to look at, it is not easy to create visualizations that are suitable [...]

Getting crowned is not always an honor. And those who are doing the honors don’t always take the ceremony seriously. Of course, it isn’t always quite as extreme as receiving a crown of thorns, but [...]

Management accounting is a real balancing act. One shouldn’t make decisions for the senior management but is expected to be a consultant, an IT expert, and much more. How can management accountants [...]

We have already discussed the fact that no one in their right mind should steer a company (or a bank in particular!) like an automobile. But what about the other way around? Porsche’s Sport Chrono package [...]

The nice thing about Information Design is that there are so many role models for us to admire. Although we rarely see them in the office, we can at least view them in beautiful venues such as Barcelona [...]

We already explored 12 rules for making terrible charts. After reading my Sunday paper, I now have to add a postscript: Embellish whatever you want to say with numbers that tell a different story!

Awards are very flattering. Innovation awards are even more so, because not every innovation is appreciated. Sometimes, it is important to differentiate between innovation and success. After all, being [...]

Management salaries are a hot topic nowadays. The usual “evidence”, however, is either manipulated in one direction or the other. Good information design can help make the discussion more objective [...]

Charts can bore us to death when they try to entertain us with decoration instead of data.

Last week we automatically identified similarities over time with the help of a computer. Today, we will define an indicator that will help us analyze differences among different demographic groups.

We already know that simple sorting functions can deliver much more information than functions based on rigid thresholds. Today, we will build an intelligent indicator that automatically uncovers conspicuous [...]

German Informatics Society (GI) awarded Dr. Nicolas Bissantz the 2007 Innovation Award for his work with management information at the organization's annual convention in Bremen, Germany. The jury [...]

Decision-makers who receive a traffic light for support really don’t have anything more to decide. The report author already made the judgment call. Worse yet, decision-makers don’t even have the [...]

Sachsen LB could have at least tried to. Their board of directors trusted a few traffic lights. They were usually green, but now all German taxpayers see is red.

And if that weren’t enough, Howard Wainer has a few more tips that are guaranteed to drive your chart consumers crazy!

If you want to make the consumers of charts truly unhappy, just follow these simple rules from the statistician Howard Wainer.

Presenting variances and changes appropriately is a true art form that extends well beyond budgeting issues.

Graphical tables are just amazing. They combine the advantages of tables and charts while avoiding their disadvantages to revolutionize the way we create management reports. In fact, they even entice [...]

Wouldn’t it be great if we could automatically generate reports that could be published without requiring any manual fine-tuning? These lean reports are the concept behind industrial reporting.

Although we are software designers, we can learn from 100 years of automobile history. If we focus on the right issues and are not tempted by superficial analogy. Thus, we can e.g. substitute ludicrous [...]

It’s understandable that managers don’t want to spend more time studying a computer screen than they would perusing the business section of the Wall Street Journal to simply get their latest revenue [...]

There is no 100% correct or 100% neutral way to present data. Appearance and purpose are completely intertwined. This also applies for using percentages.