In this chapter, Tufte discusses an unconventional approach to improving fidelity of information design: “add detail to clarify.” This principle challenges the age-old adage of “less is more” which assumes that the effectiveness of a design hinges on its readibility, which in turn means simplicity. Tufte’s argument, however, is not to uncritically cram more information onto a graph - resulting in designs which are confusing and unreadable – but to thoughtfully integrate details into the larger purpose of the design. As he eloquently states in the chapter, micro information “provides a credible refuge where the pace of wisualization is condensed, slowed, and personalized”. The power of micro/macro design is its ability to contextualize the micro reading in the macro reading. He provides a series of examples in the chapter. The first one of which is an intricate drawing of New York City where even the individual windows on the skyscrapers are painstakingly laid out. This design is still recognizable from a distance, hence a macro reading. However, upon closer inspection, personal narratives may be interwoven into the minute details of the visual design – the line of sight from your 23rd floor office window to the St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the feeling of being engulfed as you stand on 49th street past the NBC building. These are all stories which can be read into the micro information of a micro/macro design. He further discusses the infamous Vietnam War Memorial. From a distance a seemingly granite slab with blurred gray etchings, the names of each casualty in the war may be inspected upon a closer look.

This principle introduced by Tufte is especially effective in the realm of map design and can reason why tools such as Google Maps have become so embedded within our digital landscape, deftly interweaving the macro design of maps with micro information.