February 15, 2017 (Vol. 37, No. 4)
URL:
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net
Rating:
Strong Points: Beautiful graphics, diverse topics
Weak Points: None
Summary:
Self-described “independent data journalist and information designer” David McCandless and his team have compiled an absolutely stunning collection of infographics and data visualizations on the aptly named website, Information is Beautiful. Site visitors can browse the graphics by category, of which there are seven: interactive, belief, food, health, ideas, science, and web-tech. Within any of those categories, visitors will find an eclectic collection of infographics such as “A Taxonomy of Hipster Coffee-Shop Names,” “Because Every Country is Best at Something,” and “Common MythConceptions.” Beyond the data visualizations themselves, the website includes a blog, information on data visualization workshops, and the primary data used for the visualizations themselves (in the form of Google Docs). For those who are particularly enthralled with the visualizations, a sixteen-page sampler of McCandless’ “new infographic mega-book” called Knowledge is Beautiful can be downloaded from the site, with the full text also available for sale.