After reading the section in the Hunt article about memory, where he talks about George Miller's address "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two," I remembered something on a website I had seen a few days earlier. http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0000U6 It's on Edward Tufte's site, he's an expert in information design. The page was a discussion about Miller's paper, and how it has been applied (or misapplied) to design. It seems that it has been used as scientific evidence for everything from the correct number of bullet points for powerpoint slides, and website navigation links, even to pass laws that restrict the amount of items on billboards. What I find most interesting is the fourth post down, an email from George Miller himself regarding the misuse of his findings by the billboard industry and, further down on the page, the email that prompted it. The point is basically that people have taken a study on memory and applied it to the quick comprehension of information. I guess it's important to actually read a study before basing advice or, especially, laws on it.
1 comment:
Great post. We spend so much time trying to find connections between fields, rarely does one raise the limitations. If someone chooses to post directly to the Tufte post just provide a link here and it will count equally. rw
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