While not solely focused on usability, Edward Tufte has some amazing techniques for conveying information in multiple channels in a single report or illustration.

I first learned about Edward Tufte during an engineering psychology class I took at my university, Tufts. I at first thought it was odd that Tufts and Tufte were such similar names and that I heard Tufte’s name wrong, but it was just a coincidence.

My favorite illustration by Tufte is the display of Napoleon’s march through Europe. It shows the path, the dates, and the relative size of his army along the way. In addition to all that information, it is also pleasant to view.

Not everyone is visual though, and for those who prefer auditory or tensile sensors, we thankfully have multiple characteristics for those modes as well. For instance, audio conveys words, tone, and volume, which can be extremely expressive. And for tactile there is texture, temperature, and flexibilty.

Using multiple channels can be complicated, and the risk of creating noise is present. When I approach the task of conveying a message, I like to use as much technique as is needed, but not any more.