Visualization Techniques and Practice

You’re a marketer. And half your job is marketing your ideas. Like it or not, you have to be good at proving your point, ‘cause being right isn’t enough. You have to justify the time, dollars and effort required for your internet marketing campaign. In the meeting room struggle for resources, your best weapon is great data presentation.

Events tell a story. and people more easily follow a story told visually than one told verbally.

Want to get better? Avoid these six gigantic visualization mistakes...

Via Lauren Moss

Robin Good: David McCandlees, the author of the book Information is Beautiful celebrates great data visualization and information design work through the Information is Beautiful Awards.

Together with a jury of experts like Brian Eno, Paola Antonelli, Maria Popova, Simon Rogers and Aziz Kami, he has curated a unique selection of 300 designs and a short list of finalists in the following categories:

» Data visualization– A singular visualisation of data or information.» Infographic – Using multiple data visualisations in service to a theme or story

» Interactive visualization – Any viz where you can dynamically filter or explore the data.

» Data journalism – A combination of text and visualizations in a journalistic format.

» Motion infographic – Moving and animated visualizations along a theme or story.

» Tool or website – Online tools & apps to aid datavizzing.

The selection itself is worth a tour of the site and of this initiative.

Check: http://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/

Longlist selection: http://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/2012/07/our-longlist/

Shortlist selection: http://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/2012/08/awardshortlist/

Via Robin Good

Curatored by Beth Kanter

http://www.bethkanter.org

Is an infographic good or not?

(1)  Graphics - look/feel

(2)  Are there insights shared based on data?

Via Lauren Moss

Curated by Beth Kanter

http://www.bethkanter.org

Want to create your own infographics?  Here's 20 tools that help you.  But tools alone won't do it -you need a credible data source, visualization and sense making skills, and some graphic design skills.     Don't that scare you off .. but be ready to invest some thought before you dive into playing with the tools.

Via Ritu Sharma

Curated by Beth Kanter

http://www.bethkanter.org

There are a lot of tools that can help you create an infographic, but if you want to work for your nonprofit you need some design skills.    But a good infographic is not just about being a pretty picture, it requires research and making sure that it is conveying the right message.   Designing infographics is a hybrid design skill - falling somewhere inbetween print, web, and data visualization skills.

This post summarizes the design process:

1. Define concept and goals

2. Use reliable resources

3. Data should have a flow or tell a story

The article is written for designers so the 4th principle is get client feedback.   For nonprofits, it  means getting some feedback from people who are your intended audience - almost like beta testing a web site.

Has your nonprofit hired a designer to create an infographic or create a DYI version?   What are your tips and best practices.

Via Lauren Moss

Images make everything better!
Well, not everything, just most things.
Currently, we are watching the rise of visual social media. Images are getting more traction than words on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Facebook.

Via Frank J. Kenny

These tools will help make some necessary adjustments to your photos before you start adding effects to enhance them.

Via Khaled El Ahmad