A Teachable Lesson in Tacky Charts

congress2The next time you feel your client/loved one/local merchant hasn’t the slightest understanding of – nor appreciation for – the thought that goes into good design, console yourself with this thought: “design blindness” starts at the top. Capitol Hill to be precise. Don’t believe us? Check out the Floor Charts Tumblr.

Last November, C-SPAN producer Bill Gray launched the blog after reading a Huffington Post piece that casually mentioned that somebody should document some of the ridiculous visual aids members of Congress use to illustrate their arguments on the House and Senate floors.

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While a recent FastCoDesign piece  dismissed it as a collection of “delightful non sequiturs” or “proof that some of our congress people are indeed off their rockers,” the blog says something rather profound about design in this country.

When arguing for or against bills that determine the disbursement of trillions of dollars each year, lawmakers – who themselves are granted large expense allowances – are content for staffers untrained in design to bang out a chart or graphic. And if it’s good enough for the people who run the country…

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