May 14-15, 2014 | ICC ExCel, London Learn more at summit.adobe.com/emea #AdobeSummit
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The Art and Science of Great Infographics Katie Peek, Ph.D. | Information Editor, Popular Science
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Agenda
1 | Data visualisation at Popular Science 2 | Why visualise? 3 | Chart types, or, a brief history of chart-making 4 | Information graphics best practices 5 | Tools that make charts easy © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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Popular Science magazine
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Print graphics in Popular Science The Search for Other Earths Popular Science February 2014
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Print graphics in Popular Science The Life Cycle of Ideas Popular Science May 2014
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Print graphics in Popular Science Water: War & Peace Popular Science June 2014
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Print graphics in Popular Science Year In Ideas Popular Science January 2014
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Agenda
1 | Data visualisation at Popular Science 2 | Why visualise? 3 | Chart types, or, a brief history of chart-making 4 | Information graphics best practices 5 | Tools that make charts easy © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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We visualise data to understand it better and to share it with others.
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A table does the job but isn’t particularly memorable.
Data from Statistics New Zealand; Falkland Islands Census Bureau & Dept. of Agriculture; Office for National Statistics © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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A graphic version is more likely to stick with a reader.
Data from Statistics New Zealand; Falkland Islands Census Bureau & Dept. of Agriculture; Office for National Statistics © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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Charts are the building blocks of infographics.
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Charts have a home on the magazine page— Year In Ideas Popular Science January 2014
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—and in standalone, sharable graphics.
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Agenda
1 | Data visualisation at Popular Science 2 | Why visualise? 3 | Chart types, or, a brief history of chart-making 4 | Information graphics best practices 5 | Tools that make charts easy © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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The Pie Chart: William Playfair
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The Bar Chart: Also William Playfair
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Area charts The Scale: Fecundity Popular Science December 2013
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Florence Nightingale’s Polar-Area Diagram
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Agenda
1 | Data visualisation at Popular Science 2 | Why visualise? 3 | Chart types, or, a brief history of chart-making 4 | Information graphics best practices 5 | Tools that make charts easy © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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A good graphic is engaging, honest, and intuitive. And it tells a story.
© 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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World’s Deadliest Animals: A graphic with an agenda
Graphic from Bill Gates’s blog, gatesnotes.com © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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World’s Deadliest Animals: A graphic with an agenda
Graphic from gatesnotes.com © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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The Deadliest Animals, pie chart version
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Good pies
Compare only a very few numbers
Lie flat (in 2D)
Add to a meaningful whole
Include labels
Are circles, rather than rings
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The Deadliest Animals, bar chart version
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Good bars
Compare numbers within a reasonable range
Lie flat (in 2D)
Include zero
Include axis labels
Run sideways so the labels fit better
Order their entries logically
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The Deadliest Animals, area chart version
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Good areas
Are a bit of a last resort
Lie flat (in 2D)
Include labels
Use rectangles where possible
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Agenda
1 | Data visualisation at Popular Science 2 | Why visualise? 3 | Chart types, or, a brief history of chart-making 4 | Information graphics best practices 5 | Tools that make charts easy © 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
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Make your own charts: Infogr.am
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Make your own charts: Datawrapper.de
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A few intermediate-level tools Many Eyes
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Tableau
ColorBrewer
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Key Takeaways
1
Make numbers memorable by making them visual.
© 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
2
The data will dictate the best chart style.
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3
Even little charts can take a lot of time.
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Questions and Answers
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Go HERE, do THIS, and you could WIN!
Download the App Every Session
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Give us feedback
Win a MeCam
Win an iPad Air
Just hit the survey button
Eight to win
Complete 8 surveys to enter the prize draw
It takes less than a minute
Record every minute
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May 14-15, 2014 | ICC ExCel, London Learn more at summit.adobe.com/emea #AdobeSummit
© 2014 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All Rights Reserved. Adobe Confidential.
#AdobeSummit | @kathrynpeek