Controllers are bean counters – and that is a good thing! After all, good entrepreneurs are as well. And too many captains on one ship spoil the course.

This blog makes regular pleas for maximum information density. And newspapers offer many great examples. Now, FAZ is further improving its density – to cut costs – and is starting to use graphical [...]

Some people think that numbers people read data differently than graphics people. Is that true? Does this sub-division of the homo numericus really exist? And if so, do we need to present information [...]

You can find time series comparisons in almost every newspaper, business journal and political magazine. Although they are frequently used in the media, these charts can be very misleading. What you should [...]

People often use stacked charts to compare components - but the effect rarely works. Learn why that is and what alternatives are available.

Graphical elements are supposed to focus your attention on what is important. What they actually show, however, is often misleading. How can you avoid embarrassing mistakes? For starters, just steer clear [...]

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 [...]

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

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.

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 [...]

Each analysis is a comparison at heart. The possibilities today are not endless. Which ones are important as part of your analytical tool set?

German soccer fans don’t often agree on much. Few, however, can deny that the 2006/2007 Bundesliga season was more exciting and suspenseful than it had been for years. Sparklines illustrate the ups [...]

The Parisian trade fair, the prestigious Milan Fashion Week or the Pope's shoes - whatever focus you have for your observations it's always about data analysis, too.

Data analysis is a true art form. To present your results effectively, you need craftsmanship, creativity and drive. Appropriately, I find that exhibitions and books about art are a source of inspiration [...]

In the previous parts of this series (iPod, PowerSearch) I demonstrated how simple rankings can deliver much more information than initially meets the eye. This time we will create a ranking across all [...]

What has happened in the past ten years in the OLAP field? Read about multiple dimensions, virtual hierarchies, MDX statements and planning applications in this discussion between Dr. Nicolas Bissantz [...]

“Good management is boring” says Peter Drucker and “If you want excitement, don’t go to a good management information system.” We should reflect on this statement if we do not want to amuse [...]

Why men don't buy beer and diapers at the same time, and what we can still learn from urban legends.

Traffic light functions belong to the same category of dubious analogies as the dashboard. What are the alternatives to this infamous paradigm? How else can we give managers an efficient orientation guide? [...]