<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I'd like to echo José's appreciation of all the useful links provided over the last few days.<div><br></div><div>I currently work within a health policy research setting, although my background is in graphic design. For my PhD, I'm looking at the use of information graphics in the area. As you might expect, I come across a lot of research that fits into José's type (2):</div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type="cite">(2) empirical researchers who know how to calculate if there is statistically significant difference between materials, <br>but who does not know how to design (or select) materials that can be considered as good enough by designers,</blockquote><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>You may wish to look at some of the following for examples of sophisticated statistical analysis. And very poor designs being tested...</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><p align="">Benbasat, I. & Dexter, A. S. (1985). An Experimental Evaluation Of Graphical And Color-enhanced Information Presentation. Management Science, 31, 1348-1364.</p><p align=""><p align="">Elting, L. S., Martin, C. G., Cantor, S. B., & Rubinstein, E. B. (1999). Influence of data display formats on physician investigators' decisions to stop clinical trials: prospective trial with repeated measures. BMJ, 318, 1527-1531.</p><p align=""><p align="">Feldman-Stewart, D., Brundage, M. D., & Zotov, V. (2007). Further Insight into the Perception of Quantitative Information: Judgments of Gist in Treatment Decisions. Medical Decision Making, 27, 34-43.</p><p align=""><p align="">Frownfelter-Lohrke, C. (1998). The Effects of Differing Information Presentations of General Purpose Financial Statements on Users' Decisions. Journal of Information Systems, 12, 99-107.</p><p align=""><p align="">Lim, K. H. & Benbasat, I. (2000). The Effect Of Multimedia On Perceived Equivocality And Perceived Usefulness Of Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 24, 449-471.</p><p align=""><p align="">Remus, W. (1984). An Empirical Investigation Of The Impact Of Graphical And Tabular Data Presentations On Decision Making. Management Science, 30, 533-542.</p><p align="">Remus, W. (1987). A Study Of Graphical And Tabular Displays And Their Interaction With Environmental Complexity. Management Science, 33, 1200-1204.</p> <br></p></p></p></p></p></div><div>Hope your research goes well José. It's an interesting area to look at. I do share the general view expressed in this thread that qualitative research is mostly the way to go in terms of evaluating information design. However, I do find a few statistical significance calculations invaluable for explaining the benefits of good information design to people that don't have a design background. I suspect it's not really necessary for designers to quote quantitative metrics when we discuss information design. Our design experience and time spent developing our visual communication skills seem to give us our own ways of measuring the success of our (and others') designs. But when I need to show the differences in comparative information presentations to those with no design backgrounds, I find that statistical analysis of quantitative metrics can be very useful. I think David Sless of the Communication Research Institute in Australia has come to similar conclusions, and I heartily recommend his paper in the Information Design Journal:</div><div><p align="">Sless, D. (2008). Measuring information design. Information Design Journal, 16, 250-258.</p></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Cheers all, and keep up the good discussion and intellectual generosity :)</div><div><br></div><div>--Will.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br>...............................................<br><br><b>Will Stahl-Timmins</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>B.A., M.A.<br>PhD Researcher: Information Graphics in Health Technology Assessment.<br><br><b>T:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>+44 (0) 1392 726 081<br><b>M</b><b>:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>+44 (0) 7941 865 196<br><b>E:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:w.stahl-timmins@exeter.ac.uk">w.stahl-timmins@exeter.ac.uk</a><br> <br>www.pms.ac.uk/infographics/<br>www.pms.ac.uk/pentag/<div>www.willstahl.com</div><div><br></div><div><div><b>PenTAG</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Peninsula Technology Assessment Group)</div><div>Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry</div><div>Veysey Building</div><div>Salmon Pool Lane</div><div>Exeter </div><div>EX2 4SG</div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></div> </div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><br>...............................................<br><br><b>Will Stahl-Timmins</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>B.A., M.A.<br>PhD Researcher: Information Graphics in Health Technology Assessment.<br><br><b>T:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>+44 (0) 1392 726 081<br><b>M</b><b>:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>+44 (0) 7941 865 196<br><b>E:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:w.stahl-timmins@exeter.ac.uk">w.stahl-timmins@exeter.ac.uk</a><br> <br>www.pms.ac.uk/infographics/<br>www.pms.ac.uk/pentag/<div>www.willstahl.com</div><div><br></div><div><div><b>PenTAG</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Peninsula Technology Assessment Group)</div><div>Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry</div><div>Veysey Building</div><div>Salmon Pool Lane</div><div>Exeter </div><div>EX2 4SG</div></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br><div><div>On 7 Mar 2010, at 10:35, Jose Marconi Bezerra de Souza wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Wow!! <br>EXCELLENT feedback.<br>Thank you all for the generosity.<br><br>--------------------------------------<br><br>I suspect that there is another (maybe is the same) interesting debate involving:<br><br>(1) information designers who know how to design materials that deserves to be tested, <br> but do not (or reject to) know how to design statistically based experiments to test them,<br><br>and <br><br>(2) empirical researchers who know how to calculate if there is statistically significant difference between materials, <br> but who does not know how to design (or select) materials that can be considered as good enough by designers,<br><br>My personal challenge as a researcher (and teacher) is to find a reasonable compromise between<br>both competencies. I am doing my best so...<br> <br>I have learned from my experience as a PhD researcher that the<br>so called "design thinking" should not be restricted to <br>the design of information design artefacts.<br> The real challenge is to apply design thinking to the<br>of design experiments that compares those artefacts.<br><br>One possible path is <br>(1) to compare "design artifacts" that are recognised (or celebrated) as good responses to a specific problem,<br> and, if "statistically significant" difference is found <br>(2) to Iook for theories that explain those results.<br>It can be the other way around so.<br>As Jorge has pointed out: <br>what really matters is to find WHY something seems to be better <br> in the artificial (and rather limited) experimental context.<br><br>But, I can advance that to every reasonable explanation in favour of "Design A", <br>I can find an opposite (and quite reasonable too) explanation in favour of "Design B".<br> These contrasting views teach us about the<br>possible scenarios in which A would be better than B and vice-versa.<br>For me, this continuous re-thinking and re-contextualization of apparently effective designs<br>IS the core of the so called design research.<br> <br>José.<br> <br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 6 March 2010 18:35, Rob Waller <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:r.waller@reading.ac.uk" target="_blank">r.waller@reading.ac.uk</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> <div style="word-wrap: break-word;"><h2><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><p>The debate about empirical research rather easily descends into a fight between "it's just your opinion" (scientists about designers) and "you don't understand the real world" (designers about scientists).</p><p>A version of this debate has been going on as long as I can remember, and before.</p><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></span></h2><h2><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><p>From 1965: ‘Before scientific research, printers and type designers were concerned mainly with the esthetic appearance of the printed page. This preoccupation with esthetics, together with considerations of economy and tradition, dominated all typography until about 1920. As a result of these obstructive emphases, a scientific typography has been slow in developing. Indeed, the printing industry continues to resist procedural changes suggested by experimental findings.’ Miles Tinker (1965) Bases for Effective Reading, University of Minneapolis Press, page 115.</p> <div>From 1982: ‘[the technology of text] exists as a counterpoint to the artistic and unsystematic approach to text design and layout that has prevailed since petroglyphs were first inscribed on walls’. David Jonassen (1982) The Technology of Text, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications, page x.</div> </span></h2><p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand...</p><p>From 1931: ‘[the univariate research design] is good experimental technique. It is an article of faith among investigators. Yet it won’t work in the way it has been applied to typography unless one is prepared to go to very unusual lengths with it.’ Buckingham BR (1931) ‘New data on the typography of textbooks’ , Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, 30, page 104.</p><p class="MsoNormal">From 1975: ‘No one, in our opinion, can possibly predict all the variables that might interact with the one chosen for experimentation. And even if a comprehensive list of variables could (by some magic) be drawn up, the permutations would generate millions of experiments – far more than could ever be executed… The same mental set that predisposes researchers to choose problems that can be neatly handled in a laboratory also inhibits them from going outside their circle to see the problems that typographers face in practice.’ Macdonald-Ross M & Waller RHW (1975) Criticisms, alternatives and tests: a framework for improving typography, Programmed Learning & Educational Technology, 12, page 76</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">__________________________________</span></p><div><span style="font-size: 12px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word;"> <span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"> <font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Rob Waller</span></span></span></font></div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Department of Typography & Graphic Communication</span></span></span></font></div> </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">University of Reading</span></span></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px;"> <font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">T +44 (0) 118 378 6411</span></span></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">M +44 (0) 7850 665933</span></span></span></font></div> <div style="margin: 0px;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div></span></span></div></span></div></span></div><div><div><div>On 5 Mar 2010, at 20:00, Jose Marconi Bezerra de Souza wrote:</div> <br><blockquote type="cite">Dear Jorge,<br><br>I will try to make myself clear:<br><br>I am developing a list of arguments in favour of (or against, if you like) empirical research.<br>But, I am focused on empirical research that involves statistical analyses only.<br> <br>I am not looking for examples of design practice informed by empirical research.<br>I agree with you in relation to the "Information Design Journal". <br>I made a contribution myself.<br><br>How about now? Any specific sugestion?<br> <br>Many thanks for asking.<br><br>José.<br></blockquote></div><br></div></div><br>___________________________________________________________________<br> <br> Use the following address to post a message to all subscribers:<br> <a href="mailto:infodesign-cafe@list.informationdesign.org" target="_blank">infodesign-cafe@list.informationdesign.org</a><br> <br> To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your options, visit:<br> <a href="http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign-cafe" target="_blank">http://list.InformationDesign.org/mailman/listinfo/infodesign-cafe</a><br> <br> For all Information Design matters:<br> <a href="http://InformationDesign.org">http://InformationDesign.org</a><br> <br> Problems? Write to:<br> <a href="mailto:InfoDesign-Cafe-Admin@list.InformationDesign.org" target="_blank">InfoDesign-Cafe-Admin@list.InformationDesign.org</a><br> ___________________________________________________________________<br> <br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>José Marconi Bezerra de Souza<br>Visiting lecturer of Paraná Federal University, Brazil <br>PhD - Department of Typography & Graphic Communication, The University of Reading (UK)<br> <span><ATT00001..txt></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>