Face it - this is the information age, and many of us are as titilated by facts and figures as others are about pornography. However, sometimes even avid readers and lovers of information grow tired of analyzing tables of numbers, staring at line graphs, or reading paragraphs of dry statistics. This is why the marraige of graphic design with data or information is one of the best evolutions brought by modern technology. Some call it infographics, infoporn or dataporn - but whichever way you slice it, information and data are now more eye-catching, stimulating and easier to follow. Here are some of my favorite sources of dataporn and infoporn, including several of my favorite magazines:
From the science and technology monthly, Wired:
This graphic displays popular health supplements in terms of the scientific evidence supporting their health claims, bubble size and colors are indicative of popularity vs. data.http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/play/snake-oil-supplements/
The graphic below compares caffeine to calories.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/caffeine-and-calories/
Others from Wired to check out:
http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/15-07/st_infoporn
http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/magazine/16-03/st_infoporn
Good Magazine, "a collaboration of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits pushing the world forward", features many infographics, including topics like the new NASA budget (see below), where underwater cables are located, details of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (also below), etc.
http://www.good.is/departments/transparency/
At the coolinfographics.com blog, featured infographics change almost daily. One sample, seen below, is featured from a set available for download here (http://geodata.grid.unep.ch/extras/posters.php#infographics_posters_iso_codes), created for the UN Environment Program (check out their other graphics showing global water footprints and CO2 footprints).
Infographics news - a great blog covering the latest and greatest of infoporm: http://infographicsnews.blogspot.com/
A sampling of one of their great finds:
From Monocle, a UK-based monthly covering business, international affairs and culture. Below is one of their many features (available for sale as a poster here: http://shop.monocle.com/home/monocle-s-happiness-index-print-limited-edition) -
THE HAPPINESS INDEX:
Other ways to 'play' with science and data:
Many examples of infoporn or dataporn are either interactive or animated...check out this one about the scale of the universe:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/525347
Fractal Generator - free web-based software, just enter the values you choose and the program creates gorgeous digital fractal art for you.
http://guydmann.no-ip.org/code/fractal/fractal_zoomerWcntl.phtml
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Michael Steinberg
doctorwascher
Paul Hinrichs
Mary Elizabeth Williams
Cary Tennis
Dave Cullen
Salon.com
Comments
Reason: Use of charts.