Edward Tufte is the pre-eminent leader in the field of analytical I attended last fall with high expectations that were met and surpassed. In Tufte I found a voice that could eloquently describe the vital need to focus on the analytic aspects of design and presentation, areas all too often considered too intangible or unimportant; areas that can not be properly addressed using PowerPoint.

One of the most surprising elements of Tufte’s seminar for me was his strong aversion to PowerPoint. I could concur that the product is considerable misused, but never really grasped the full impact of improper implementation of PowerPoint.

Since Edward Tufte is en route to DC, making his annual trip to provide his one-day seminar in mid-November, I figured I’d take the opportunity to reference two very contrasting examples of PowerPoint misuse, one very humorous and one hauntingly tragic:

• The Gettysburg Address
  Years ago, the Google uber-designer Peter Norvig created an alternate history where Abraham Lincoln had the convenience of Powerpoint at his disposal when giving the Gettysburg Address.
• The Columbia Tragedy
  With the help of Tufte, the NASA’s Accident Investigation Board was able to focus in on exactly where in the process things went offline that resulted in the Columbia tragedy in 2003. The derailing resulted from a under-informative Powerpoint presentation. The full details available in this Washington Post article.