Elaine’s Reviews > Visual Language for Designers: Principles for Creating Graphics that People Understand > Status Update

Novelty sustains attn bc it doesn't match the assoc schemas activated in long-term memory. When there are inconsistencies, such as when something is unexpected or unusual, additional visual attn and processing is required to comprehend the discrepancy. This means that a person spends more time examining a novel graphic to resolve its inconsistencies.

Also there are a number of design examples in here that I do not consider to be great. Good and usually aesthetically-pleasing, sure, but not great.

E.g. this rape awareness image. I thought the word Rape was spelled out with eyeballs (which looked weird but okay, see something/say something?). Turns out they're bullet casings (end view). Eh. That is not evident in a duochrome image.

"Meaning emerges from relationships. Nothing exists or is perceived in isolation. A design acquires its form and meaning from the relationships on which it is based. In pictorial design, this is called composition; in music, orchestration; in nature, ecology. The process if developing meaning thru the org. of rel'ships is analagous in all fields ..." - Phillip Paratore in Art and Design

I think I finally articulated something that's been bugging me about this book. It's very A, B, C... glossary-ish almost. This section has a page on magnification, exploded views, implied motion...

More useful: sections like "Showing Change and Movement" -- implied motion, etc. "Reducing Complexity" -- exploded view, abstract representation...

Oh man, I saw the heading "The Cognitive Aspect" and my brain went straight to Cosmere. :X

The Scrabble-type representation of languages spoken in the world would be a lot more effective if it didn't imply French was the 5th most spoken, rather than 10th of the languages mentioned.

5 languages are shown on the board. The graphic title is World Languages: Which are spoken most? 5 more languages are listed in small print to the right of the gameboard image, all of which have more speakers than French. Que?