Fwd: Cooking Better Charts

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: wenzhan <lwzljzh@gmail.com>
Date: 2009/9/9
Subject: Cooking Better Charts
To: wenzhan liu <lwzljzh@gmail.com>

Sent to you by wenzhan via Google Reader:

Cooking Better Charts

via Jorge Camoes' Charts by Jorge Camoes on 9/7/09

I don't know how to cook and, frankly, I don't want to learn. But my
wife is coming late from work, I'm tired of take-away food and we must
feed the kids. So I guess I have to add cooking to my daily routine.

Here in Europe, Thermomix (also known as "Bimby") is a very popular
kitchen appliance (specially among men, so I'm told). You just add
ingredients, press three buttons (temperature, speed and time) et
voilà, diner is ready (sort of). Follow the recipe  and what you get
what you expect. That's good enough for me.

This is a gadget most people love or hate. A friend of mine hates it
and tried to persuade me that I should learn how to cook using the
traditional pots and pans. Only ill-informed people buys it, he says.

Yes, but he's single. No kids, no blog, loves to cook. How can he
possibly understand my motives? I just want to get this thing done
with minimal fuss, no random results, small learning curve. Some good
templates, that's all I want.

I had to buy one. I just did.

OK, but what about making better charts?

Apparently, most people love making charts as much as I love cooking.
Even if they need them on a daily basis, there are so many things
fighting for their attention that the need for a better data
visualization can easily be overlooked and pushed to the bottom of
their list.

Junk food, junk charts. Some times it's great fun to use them. And
it's very easy to take them for real food, real charts. But they are
unhealthy, and if you use them often you and your business will pay a
price, sooner or later.

It's not about food or charts, it's about business and personal health
(or wellness). You don't have to know the details, you don't have to
know how to use the tools. But you have to have some kind of framework
to guide you. Fat is bad, sugar is bad, 3D effects are bad. Then you
need to find some templates that implement that framework and tools
that use them by default.

We played with the machine over the weekend and I've very pleased with
the results. We eat better than we usually do and saved money and
time. Not bad. Now, do yourself a favor and find your own charting
machine. If you'll excuse me, mine is calling me. Dinner is ready.

______________________

Want to create better dashboards? Try the Excel Dashboard Tutorial.

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Cooking Better Charts

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