Visual Explanations reproduces many of the original Challenger O-ring charts. Tragically, the critical data was there but not presented so that the causal relationship between variables was apparent. Although Tufte laments poor design, he tells us that there are lots of good graphical designs. It is just a matter of finding them. His books are a good place to start.
Tufte says good graphical design requires a combination of text, numbers and images.
The idea is to make designs that enhance the richness, complexity, resolution, dimensionality, and clarity of the content. A book's index is a design structured to retrieve content and navigate the author's mental map. While we wait for Tufte's next title, a cumulative topical index to the trilogy would be welcome and not only add to the way the unique information is pictured to us but make the set an even more valuable reference tool. All rights reserved.