InfoGraphics are Cool

Maybe it's because in the "real world" (a phrase I'm hearing way too much lately, btw) my work is in research, but I love me some slick infographics. We are constantly looking for new ways to present information in an interesting, simplified, but graphically pleasing manner. It's hard not to take notice, even if you don't necessarily agree with/believe in the study method or data collected. I have a lot of appreciation for the fine people who are trying to improve our graphic representations; I think it's one of those things that looks easier than it actually is.

Via BoingBoing, there were two examples this week that I like. The first is from Informationisbeautiful.net :


This one is interactive and is designed to help understand the data on dietary supplements, including a way to cut it by illness/condition. Go to Information is Beautiful's site for the interactive version.

The second one, also via BoingBoing, comes from Royal Pingdom. They put together an infographic on Google, though it seems to be based on "Google’s SEC filings, news articles and the trusty old Wikipedia" so take it for what it is. Click for larger view.



It includes sections on timeline, search, value/money, people, and other products (YouTube, Blogger). Since I'm using Blogger for this endeavor, I thought it was interesting to see that there are 270,000 words written per minute on this site. Um, wow and/or yikes. They can't all be about cats, celebrities, and awkward photos, can they?