Steve Jobs was holding one of his well known presentations at MacWorld 2006, when suddenly a very bad chart confused him for almost 16 seconds. It looks almost like he was shocked by this Hall-of-Shame version of a simple column chart. This document consists some fiction and some very down to earth principles for designing und using charts. Enjoy and think twice before you use bad designed charts! SORRY FOR THE BAD QUALITY! Slideshare seems to have problems with high-quality slides ...

1. Steve Jobs
and 16 seconds of confusion
How a bad „Hall-of-Shame“ chart shocked
the master of design thinking in 2006
Roman Griesfelder, aspektum
October 2014

2. This is Steve Jobs world in 2006.
Presenting well designed and usable products.
MacWorld 2006 (January 10, 2006)
Source: Youtube „First Intel Mac“
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cp49Tmmtmf8

3. But what happened seconds later made Steve Jobs loose his focus …

4. 00:23seconds into the video

5. 00:23
seconds into the video
„… really good …

6. 00:23
seconds into the video
„… really good … … year …

7. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
„… really good … … year …

8. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
„… really good … … year …
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.

9. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
„… really good … … year … … Ahhh …

10. 00:23 00:24
„… really good … … year
…
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
seconds into the video
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.

11. 00:23 00:24
„… really good … … year
…
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
seconds into the video
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Macs.“

12. 00:23 00:24
„… really good … … year
…
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
seconds into the video
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Macs.“

13. 00:23 00:24
„… really good … … year
…
… Ahhh …
00:25
00:26
… with
seconds into the video
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Macs.“

14. 00:23 00:24
„… really good … … year
…
… Ahhh …
00:25
00:26 00:27
… with
seconds into the video
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Macs.“

15. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
„… really good … … year
…
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
00:26 00:27 00:28
… Macs.“

16. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
„… really good … … year
…
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
00:26 00:27 00:28
… Macs.“

17. 00:23 seconds into the video
00:24
„… really good … … year
…
Jobs is looking at the
stage monitor.
… Ahhh …
00:25
… with
00:26 00:27 00:28
… Macs.“

19. [loosing focus on audience]

20. „… so we …“

21. „… started off the quarter …“
?
It is not the quarter.

22. „… started off the year …“
Right!

23. „… selling over a million Macs a quarter …
… and did better every quarter after that.“

24. [regaining focus on audience]

25. 00:39 (16 seconds after)
„But the biggest news this year …“
[turning to the previously announced change from PowerPC to Intel processors]

26. Now what exactly shocked Steve Jobs
in front of a global audience?

27. Since when are we selling stones?
Or to be precise: Green marble from India?

28. Since when do we have to cut axes?
What exactly are we trying to hide?

29. Since when is fake 3D
in our design philosophy?
(did you realize it rhymes?)

30. How can anyone use the arrangement of this scale
to comprehend the columns?

31. Why do we have to show fake 3D objects
in a fake 3D orientation?
(Still did not find out what it is exactly we are trying to hide …)

32. Why do we have to show numbers twice?

33. And by the way: What exactly am I showing anway?
?

34. Here are 5 simple suggetions for Steve Jobs
and everyone who is trying to use professional charts.

35. Get rid of all decorative elements.
Like in your products …

36. Draw a straight line and make it clearly visible.
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

37. Use simple elements to represent your numbers.
(Not if you have something to hide …)
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

38. Use direct labels and get rid of axe labels.
1,07
1,18
1,24
1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

39. Do not lie. Not with words and not with charts.
Use accurate scaling to get true representations.
1,07
1,18
1,24 1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
0

40. Macs
Sales in Millions per quarter
2005
1,07
1,18
1,24 1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Use titles for every chart you show.

41. Macs
Sales in Millions per quarter
2005
1,07
1,18
1,24 1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Now, what do you think, Steve?

42. Macs
Sales in Millions per quarter
2005
1,07
1,18
1,24 1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
„It‘s great! Get me Jony Ive!“
Jonathan Ive: Senior Vice President of Design at Apple

43. „It‘s great! Get me Jony Ive!“ (No, he did not say that!)
Macs
Sales in Millions per quarter
2005
1,07
1,18
1,24 1,25
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Jonathan Ive: Senior Vice President of Design at Apple

44. aspektum
rethinking business communication
Geschäftskommunikation neu denken
www.aspektum.com
switzerland