I'm in the process of researching the issue of online branding and non-profits (have any good resources? drop a note below or ). While surfing, I came across this PDF version of a PowerPoint presentation called . (1.3M) If you're current with your Wurman and Tufte, you won't find anything really new; this is a summary of their main points. That said, I did like this quote from the presentation:

Think of an expression of an idea as a map to its meaning.

I like to think that I'm reasonably proficient at communication. But every once in a while, I get a response back from someone (often when I've communicated via email) that suggests that we just didn't connect. The metaphor of the map is an interesting one, as it brings to mind the challenges inherent in navigating using one...and that some people are better than others at it. This reminds me of David Dobrin's Writing & Technique, which starts off with a story about the communication challenges inherent in giving directions.

The other download is a master's thesis on the subject of decoding visual language elements in news content (link goes to a main page). Here's part of the abstract:

News delivery in this country is increasingly comprised of carefully crafted displays of visual information. As consumers of information, however, most of us have never been taught to critically read or decode images and other graphic displays of information in the same ways that we have been taught to analyze verbal communication. ... This thesis builds on elements from [related] disciplines in order to create a prototype for the critical analysis of visual news content utilizing the tools of interactive visual design.

The thesis is 3.4M. Hat tip to Al Wasco for sharing this item on the citizendesign list.

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