Tuesday 31 March 2009

What is more important when reading an infographic?





Well, its pretty conclusive

We don't like being surprised, we don't like finding out more nor do we think visual display is important!

But receiving clear information is!

Does this mean we are all turning Tufte-esq?

Thanks all for using the poll. Any ideas for the next one?

Monday 30 March 2009

Formula One [2]



Fantastic work from El Mundo in Spain

This graphic looks lively, fun and extremely inviting

Reading graphics like this is like having money dropping out of the newspaper when you turn the page. This is the value of true infography

I like the 'chocolate' value

There are little nuggets of sweetness placed around, like treats for a child

Maybe the main image could have worked harder

For example with el Mundo's online coverage (click on the title above), we can see the the air flow runs through the car, making the photo dynamic.

Maybe this would have added complication to the infographic

The typography is consistent, which works well within the design of 'deportes'

Easy navigation

Fantastico

Telegraph F1 interactive



Click here for our F1 interactive at Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/5053749/Interactive-Formula-One-car-guide.html

On the way back from Pamplona, I noticed that El Pais had infographical coverage

Very good

The season has started, with much controversy

Here is our latest offering, which followed our print infographic last week

Are there any other examples from around the globe?

Sunday 29 March 2009

Malofiej 17: NYT - Peter Sullivan/Best of show


The NYT and NYT.com shared the Peter Sullivan/Best of Show during the 17th Malofiej awards

The jury decided to unanimously award this printed and online coverage entitled 'The Ebb and flow movies: box office' which explains in detail the weekly box office receipt from all movies opened in the US during the last three decades - developed by Amanda Cox

Although, my first impressions were a little 'grey' I guess the 'curves of pleasure' and sheer ingenuity and audacity swung the jury

Which leads me to think that there are two clear distinctions in our world of infographics;

those which are rendered by the experience, limitations and knowledge via our brain

and those which are rendered by the experience, limitations and knowledge via developed data software

Trust me, neither is better or worse than the other - both are valid and exceptional ways to communicate

I guess the industry faced the same emotional debate between those who had trained to illustrate by hand, and those on the computer

Of course the latter is purely design to number crunch, and develop data-driven infography

But most importantly the biggest difference is in the language we use; 'developer' and 'data-driven' rather than 'artist' and 'illustrate'...

... indeed both allow the infografista to communicate their content and idea

But the word on the street is that some fear the death of their traditional trade; I don't thinks so - its just another branch of the infographics tree

Malofiej 17: 'big red thingy'


OK - I am back from Pamplona, and huge apologies for the lack of visual

Basically, crap photo's from the Blackberry, and I had not organised web access at the hotel, for obvious reasons

But there will be a steady stream of stuff to come

First and foremost, I must congratulate all winners at this years awards

My sincere wishes go to the Guardian and the Sunday Times who won three medals collectively

Great news

I have just come across this great video footage by Brian Rea, former Op-Ed art director of the NYT

Classic!

Friday 27 March 2009

Show and tell (3)

Intentional simplicity

My god we are witnessing another presentation from the NYT information hot house

Is there anything these guys can't do?

The amazing Amanda Cox is revealing her secrets;

More editing

More design

And more editing. Graphics mainly consist of uninteresting data. Throw it away. In the trash.

Very simple graphics have more impact.

She calls it 'intentional simplicity'

It is working well.

Great stuff... As ever

Show and tell (2)

An interesting presentation on 'breaking news' across the spanish press by Antonio Alonzo of el Pais

Most is based on acts of terrorism, such as the attacks in Mumbai. Which is great fodder for news papers and infographic junkies

All are showing the usual techniques; google map, illustrator diagrams, photo combinations. They all work very well

Interesting though, is how iberian infographics depts react when attacked by ETA, such as the latest bombing at the university of Navarra

Antonio describes these 'hand rendered' examples as 'hot' - meaning they are 'live' and immediate.

Very direct and very emotional

Just the use of different mediums to explain this kind of news forces us to; 'feel' accepting when the display information is hand rendered...

... and 'think' understanding the information when viewing a more neutral display by produced on computer

Muy interesante!

Show and tell [2]


Luis Chumpitaz has just delivered a great show and tell in the first presentation of the day
SND award-winning Luis is the graphics director of Arab Media Group in Dubai, UAE
I had the honour of working with him in developing his team
But the work produced by his department - reading left to right in english and right to left in arabic - has been given huge applause by the particpants of Malofiej.
All of his glossy printed promotional work was snapped up - quicker than free shots lined up across the bar of the jumping jester!

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Ahmen


Bloody hell!

How true is this!

What a dude!

Chiqui Esteban has some great words from this fella (Xaquín González) of the NYT

Check them out

Our aim, my friends, is this;

"when Richard L. Berke (assistant managing editor chap) interviewed me for the position, he told me that some of the best journalists of The New York Times are at the infographics department..."

Holy focaccia!

Tuesday 24 March 2009

C'mon bring the noise! Girls grab ya boys...



The F1 season is upon us

Petrol heads rejoice

We have some tasty work in the Telegraph this week – off and online

Watch this space for links and infographical horn pipe

Malofiej 17 [blog]


Tomorrow Himesh Patel (TMG Creative Director) and I set off for Pamplona, via Barcelona for the Malofiej world infographics summit

There are some fantastic and wonderful judges present, Guillermo Nagore, Luis Chumpitaz and Juantxo Cruz  - among other infografistas elite

But I have a concern

Breaking news infographics are not picking up awards

A rare sight in the Malofiej awards book

Although one can read and admire hundreds of feature-length visual treats

The only graphics we see in the UK are breaking news

The only newspaper not to predominantly use this kind of graphic is the Guardian

But they win many awards.

Is this a coincidence? Or am I being a complete numpty?

Whats is the answer?

What's next?

Monday 23 March 2009

Infographics Caviar [2]


A fantastic state by state, county by county interactive guide to the recession by the New York Times. 

Truly awesome reporting, inspiring, and a guide to us all.

My head spins at the thought of the endless scripting, and data input.

But it is worth it. 

An experience for the viewer.

And Kudos with a capital 'K' to NYT.com

I'll raise a glass to this work!


Thursday 19 March 2009

Morning has broken

A beautiful morning, down on the Thames in Henley, Oxfordshire

The school run over, many people are out walking, running and enjoying the spring air

The sun shines, and everyone is happy


Wednesday 18 March 2009

Guardian datablog



Again, the Guardian continue to innovate

They have developed a datablog: online fact and figures for readers and geeks, but more importantly researchers and journo's

Although, having said that, why not go directly to the source. 

In a pique of transparency, the Guardian also supply these

Fritzl: House of horror



It is a bloody awful story. Truly awful. But we must continue to report

We produced this infographic on Monday, for Tuesday edition of the Daily Telegraph, London.

Strong red navigation, strong words, accurate (we think) rendering, photographic evidence, intense visual information and simple data and numbers.

I thought we made a decent go of it, but I would love to see other examples.

Did newspapers and magazines take an infographical interest in Europe?

Only the Mirror, BBC.co.uk and ourselves produced an infographic of this particular news cycle in the UK press

Nothing from the Times, the Guardian, the Daily Mail nor the Independent

Why?

Tuesday 17 March 2009

Malofiej 17


In eight days time, infografistas of the world will arrive in Pamplona, in the Navarra region, north Spain

It is always worth a visit, and always good fun.

Fun, intellect, and wit is the currency of choice.

Spend as much as you can.

Many of the worlds greatest infographic designers will be there.

And so will I.

I will also blog from Pamplona, if I can see my keyboard in the small hours

Cheers

Monday 16 March 2009

Having a laugh


Talking about having a laugh

My editor wanted a sausage machine, in a graphic.

Based on a quote, from a banker... aherm...

Well, we needed data. 

Once we have data - the ball will roll!

As a Comment section opener, within the main book, it needed to be illustrative.

Warm, welcoming. 

Like walking into a pub on a cold frosty evening.

But fun.

This graphic provides an insight into what went wrong with the banks...

Awesome charts


Can't remember where I found this, but consider the planning

Consider the math. 

Consider trying to get this into a newspaper... which is not the NYT!

Consider innovating. 

Are there new ways of showing data?

Infographics Caviar


I'd love to see some spankingly good infographics. Is there anything new?

Look at this showing, from Chiqui Esteban's blog; Infographic News...

Its such a laugh. A moment of genuis. Is it a visualisation of office chaps with hangovers..?

Underground InfoVisuals



There are some super London Underground images at the moment - basically informing us, the user of the system, that various lines will be slow, and useless due to engineering works. Thanks. But these visuals are worth it!

Great images. Very simple. Very direct!

Fantastic informational advertising