I have decided to look closer on CHARTS and DIAGRAMS. I looked especially at the history of charts because for me it is easier to understand a certain issue if you know a little bit of its history. I have visited Hive, Worcester Library, and found an amazing book called Designer's Guide to Creating Charts & Diagrams by Nigel Holmes published in 1984.

 

I was very surprised how this topic can be interesting. To be fair, I expected some boring story but luckily I was wrong.  I have found out that charts have been here since 14th century and that since 18th century it changed just a little bit.

 

I have found out that Leonardo da Vinci made one of the earliest versions of graphic representation.Rene Descartes and his contribution with Cartesian grid that he invented in 1637 helped create an image of graphs that we are using today with two lines - one horizontal (x axis called as abscissa) and vertical (y axis called ordinate). It was forerunner of today's graph paper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But one of the impress figures in my research is definitely William Playfair who was a key figure. he had great technical skills and knowledge which helped him in discovery of graphic methods of charting. He published various publications and he illustrated almost all of his charts by himself. He also charted trade between US and England in his Commercial and Political Atlas (1786) which consisted of 44 charts and most of them were hand-colored copper-plate engravings. Playfair generally accompained his charts with lengtly descriptions to underline the points being made. All of his work was most carefouly annotated which today is not necessary as it was when his charts first appeared .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARTS AROUND THE WORLD

 

In America, charting didn't catch on until late 20s. After the Wall Street crash, people became interested un the possibility of predicting the ups and downs of the stock market, at least in general term, by using the historical data shown in charts. 

 

In Austria is Vienna Method lead by Dr.Otto Neurath. Vienna Museum of Social and Economic Studies produced charts of precision, clarity. The museum's purpose was to educate the general public about post-war housing by creating displays of social information

 

"If the immense power of statistical truth is to be turned to full account the prime necessity is the pictorial representation of statistical data. Our museum, with its carefully evolved method, is able, graphically, to represent social and economic problems. Meaningless columns of figures spring to life. Logic wedded to clarity is effective and convincing." 

Nigel Holmes, 1984. Designer's Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams. Second Printing Edition. Watson-Guptill.

 

Vienna method is based on very strict principles when creating charts. It is banned to use any decorations and all irrelevant elements had to be removed. All symbols have to be drawn with simplicity. And instead of showing an increase in the quantity of commodity by increasing the size of its symbol - the symbol itself was repeated as many times as was necessary to achieve the quantity.

 

Otto Neurath devised a picture language called  ISOTYPE - International System of Typographic Picture Education, where he applied its rules rigorously to his work. It was not intended to replace verbal language, rather it was a “helping language” accompanied by verbal elements. Neurath was deeply convinced that his "world language without words" would not only enhance education but facilitate international understanding.

 

Neurath was inspired by Hieroglyphics as a boy and it was a big influence in designing his Isotypes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David McCandless used Isotypes figures in one of his diagrams as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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