data visualizations are not boring anymore!

Data visualizations are not boring

anymore*Steve Outing (media futurist, digital-news innovator) • http://mediadisruptus.com • [email protected]

* And anyone can create them now

Steve Outing (media futurist, digital-news innovator) • http://mediadisruptus.com • [email protected]

Should all journalists learn data viz, infographic, photo skills?

Back in the ‘newsolithic’ era…Early software tools crude compared to today’s

Dedicated graphic artist

Reporter/editor trained in CARR, analyzing data

Static visualizations only


Tools used then have advancedMore powerful, capable

Static or interactive or video …

But expensive

Takes time to learn

Steep learning curve

Perhaps too much for a busy multi-tasking journalist


https://creative.adobe.com/products

Still relevant: Excel (when statistical analysis software is more than you need)

Older Excel: weaknesses over using statistical-analysis software (SAS, SPSS, Stata, OriginPro, JMP)

New Excel: beefed up for data analysis

Must install “data analysis” add-on (user option)



More-powerful, easy-to-use tools are here: Still need Excel and Adobe?

Free! Download client app [Windows only! :( ] … Hosted on web free … Embed on your site

Image, visualization software is experiencing a transition

FROM!client-based

TO!cloud-based


Many easier-to-use tools are now not on desktop: Use them in the cloud


http://timeline.knightlab.com/#

http://soundcite.knightlab.com/

Example: Infogr.am Simple enough for anyone to use


Flawed

Limited!free account!OR!$12/month!plan

An Infogr.am interactive graphic


https://infogr.am/Wealth-distribution-in-USA/

Infogr.am and its competitors partly eliminate need for graphic artists

“Infogr.am wants to create a sort of Adobe Illustrator in the Cloud, allowing anyone to

create cool info-graphics on the fly.”


Free trial; $14-$29/month

Still free for now

Other simple-to-use cloud-based data visualization/infographic tools


Private beta, but you can sign up for

account

The problem when data visualization tools are available for everyone


Pretty…

Nearly incomprehensible!!

Effective data visualization…

But a bit plain lookingSources: Harvard Business Review, JunkCharts.com

But even if you’re not an expert, you can learn the ropes

Bar Chart: As simple as you can get with data visualization


Flawed Much better!!No need to turn head to read type

What could be better about this recent NY Times data visualization?


You don’t have to be an artist to be creative in presenting data


Some good data-viz resourcesjunkcharts.typepad.com - Blog; lessons, tips on effective data visualization

Book: “The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization” - by Alberto Cairo

Blogs:visualizing.org … informationisbeautiful.net … flowingdata.com … infosthetics.com … visualisingdata.com … datavis.tumblr.com

These presentation slides can be found here: http://www.slideshare.net/steveouting1


http://junkcharts.typepad.com

http://visualizing.org

http://informationisbeautiful.net

http://flowingdata.com

http://infosthetics.com

http://visualisingdata.com

http://datavis.tumblr.com

http://www.slideshare.net/steveouting1

data visualizations are not boring anymore!

Education