The Beauty of Data Visualization

The graphic below, by info-graphic guru David McCandless, illustrates how this spring's Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland was the world's first carbon-neutral volcano:

Not working for you? Oh yeah, there's something missing--the data! That, friends, is the subject of this wonderful TED Talk by McCandless on "the beauty of data visualization" (posted below): the joining of clean, intuitive design with relevant data sets to create something almost magical.

"If you're navigating a dense information jungle, coming across a beautiful graphic or a lovely data visualization is a relief: It's like coming across a clearing in the jungle."

At Sierra, we constantly struggle with new ways to impart large amounts of data in compelling and, we hope, visually arresting ways. As always, we'd appreciate your comments on how we're doing. Oh, and that volcano? McCandless' talk is well worth watching in full (you'll learn, for example, what times of the year are most popular for dumping someone), but if you're pressed for time you can skip ahead to 17:30.

 

--Paul Rauber