Another quick post with some background on something new on the blog.
Several years ago I read my first data visualization book: Stephen Few’s Information Dashboard Design. I had read professional books before, but this one fascinated me in ways that no other professional book, on any topic, had before. This was my first exposure to the name Edward Tufte. Few made him sound important, but who was he? Where could I get my hands on his books? Whoa! I actually wanted to read more about data visualization, even outside of work! I still enjoy reading books on data viz, and the scope has broadened over the years to include other data topics and design topics.
When I read, it’s interactive; I underline, add sticky notes to self-index sections that I want to refer to later, and take digital notes using Michael Hyatt’s Book InSIGHTS template. But something happens in all this interactivity that’s not always helpful. I don’t stop to process what I’ve read, to distill the notes and actually determine how to apply what I’ve learned. The Book InSIGHTS template gives me a great starting place, but I need to go a few steps beyond and this blog is the right step. As I read books on data, data viz, business intelligence, reporting, design, or anything else that may relate, I will post about what I’ve learned and how I plan to apply that learning in my daily practice.
I hope that you find these posts helpful, and you can join in! If you’ve also read the book, leave some comments and we can have discussion. Or if there are books that I should read, send me a link. You can even ask me about how I’m doing with applying what I’ve learned.
Stay tuned! I am about done with The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman and there will be PLENTY to write about.
