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The best graphics are about the useful and important, about life and death, about the universe. Beautiful graphics do not traffic with the trivial.
Edward Tufte
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of creating graphics that convey significant and meaningful information rather than superficial aesthetics.

Edward Tufte highlights that the most impactful graphics are those that communicate essential truths and engage with profound themes such as life, death, and the universe. He suggests that true beauty in graphics arises from their capacity to convey important messages rather than merely looking visually appealing without substance.

Themes

GraphicsMeaningfulDesignImportanceBeauty

In practice

Example use cases

In a presentation on graphic design principles, one might quote this to stress the need for meaning over mere aesthetics.

More from Edward Tufte

Good design is clear thinking made visible, bad design is stupidity made visible
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I have stared long enough at the glowing flat rectangles of computer screens. Let us give more time for doing things in the real world...plant a plant, walk the dogs, read a real book, go to the opera.
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There is no such thing as information overload, just bad design. If something is cluttered and/or confusing, fix your design.
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The minimum we should hope for with any display technology is that it should do no harm.
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PowerPoint is like being trapped in the style of early Egyptian flatland cartoons rather than using the more effective tools of Renaissance visual representation.
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If you’re told what to look for, you can’t see anything else.
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