Project Management Graphics (or Gantt Charts)
An excellent analysis of Gantt Chart interfaces ...
"A look at a few of the approximately 22,000 Google hits for "Gantt chart" shows us current practice. These are my findings and conclusions:
Computer screens are too small for an overview of big serious projects. Horizontal and vertical scrolling are necessary to see more than about 40 horizontal time lines for a reasonable period of time. Thus, for large projects, print out the sequence on a big roll of paper and put it up on a wall.
The chart might be retrospective as well as prospective. That is, the chart should show actualdates of achieved goals, evidence which will continuously reinforce a reality principle on the mythical future dates of goal achievement.
Most of the Gantt charts are analytically thin, too simple, and lack substantive detail. The charts should be more intense. At a minimum, the charts should be annotated--for example, with to-do lists at particular points on the grid. Costs might also be included in appropriate cells of the table.
About half the charts show their thin data in heavy grid prisons. For these charts the main visual statement is the grid prison of administration, not the actual tasks contained by the grid. No explicitly expressed grid is necessary--or use the ghost-grid graph paper. Degrid! See The Visual Display of Quantitative Informationon chartjunk, Envisioning Information on layering and separation, and Visual Explanationson the ghost-grid graph paper. Here is an excellent bad example:" continued ... (Via Ask E.T.)
"A look at a few of the approximately 22,000 Google hits for "Gantt chart" shows us current practice. These are my findings and conclusions:
Computer screens are too small for an overview of big serious projects. Horizontal and vertical scrolling are necessary to see more than about 40 horizontal time lines for a reasonable period of time. Thus, for large projects, print out the sequence on a big roll of paper and put it up on a wall.
The chart might be retrospective as well as prospective. That is, the chart should show actualdates of achieved goals, evidence which will continuously reinforce a reality principle on the mythical future dates of goal achievement.
Most of the Gantt charts are analytically thin, too simple, and lack substantive detail. The charts should be more intense. At a minimum, the charts should be annotated--for example, with to-do lists at particular points on the grid. Costs might also be included in appropriate cells of the table.
About half the charts show their thin data in heavy grid prisons. For these charts the main visual statement is the grid prison of administration, not the actual tasks contained by the grid. No explicitly expressed grid is necessary--or use the ghost-grid graph paper. Degrid! See The Visual Display of Quantitative Informationon chartjunk, Envisioning Information on layering and separation, and Visual Explanationson the ghost-grid graph paper. Here is an excellent bad example:" continued ... (Via Ask E.T.)
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