information aesthetics

Simple? Maybe. Beautiful? Maybe.

Readable? Insightful? Analytical or communicative? No. So what's the standard for evaluating these things? Shouldn't it be whether they improve our understanding of the information more than other methods of "visualization"?

This is very interesting. As a web designer, and therefore a very visual person, I think these tag clouds are much prettier than the plain ol' Arial ones we normally see. However (and I am still speaking as a web designer), I'd be reluctant to use such a tag cloud on a website intended for a broad audience. While they look cool, I feel the accessibility and usability issues they pose outweigh the benefit of being different, unique, attractive. Like you, tag clouds in general are something I am undecided about. I do know this, though: someone with impaired vision, be it blindness, color-blindness, near-sightedness, whatever... would have a heck of a time being able to use these prettier ones. And, like with everything in design, it all comes back to finding the balance between form and function. In this case, I'd be going the function route.

Granted, I haven't looked into the wiring yet, so maybe there is a way to make them degrade gracefully into a more easily readable format.

Do you mind if I skink this info and put it out on my own blog? I'd like to see what my designer colleagues think as well.

Great post!

Durr, I meant to leave this comment on another blog that links to yours. While my sentiments remain unchanged, I apologize for the error.

glenn-

It's not supposed to be useful. it's supposed to look nice.

Well, it looks nice. But, um, shouldn't it be supposed to be useful?

As Charles Eames said, "Who would say that pleasure is not useful?"

not useful? in addition to the utility of beauty, the practicality of giving the untrained the means to display and to discuss information in non-linear and non-traditional ways is sorely needed.

if we save one person from death by powerpoint, than we have saved the world.

Any enemy of Powerpoint is a friend of mine.

I'm with glenn on this one. It's nice for 5 seconds, but has no depth and no compelling story.

I've just discovered Wordle and really like it. But as an educator, am wondering what uses it may have for school aged children. Or am I thinking too deeply here?