(r)evolution

Socially-engaged information design

As a follow-up to my pitch yesterday for putting more time and resources into developing information graphics, I thought I’d expand on my points and provide several examples of different types of info graphics that drive my interest in the subject. I’ll do examples first so there are points of reference.

1) Some personal favorites

Social Stratification in the United States

One of the classic visual snapshots about how the U.S. population divides into classes based on income and livelihood. Since I can’t link to the poster on the web, this Amazon “Search Inside” will have to do. Barbara Ehrenreich sums up its usefulness and import: “It conveys important political messages in a non-dogmatic and inviting way. Every activist and educator should have it up in a prominent place.”

How Class Works

A good compliment is the more contemporary research the NY Times did a few years ago on “Class Matters.” This is a particularly good example of how Flash interactivity can add depth to a graphic by layering huge numbers of variables onto a small space. The graphic becomes something of a special-purpose calculator.

Pre-K Now Resource Center

Pre-K Now is a DC-based non-profit that promotes pre-k education programs in the U.S. Their resources are data-driven, based on mountains of statistical research. They arranged this data on a series of U.S. maps conveying the Availability and Quality of pre-k education in every state. They also developed their own metrics for calculating the Political Barometer and Climate surrounding current and future pre-k programs in each state. The snap shots are detailed and demonstrate points pertinent to the organization’s mission to make such programs widely available and of good quality. But the flexibility of the information and the interface allows a reader to draw myriad connections between geography, politics, and educational policy. This is a marker of good information design - the tool serves the purpose for which it was built, but it also has uses that the builders could not anticipate.

The Income Tax Map

Designer Jonathan Corum teamed up with legal scholar Shari Motro to map the intricacies of the Income Tax code. The fact that such an awesome feat of design was necessary to visually unravel what ought to be a transparent system is a testament to the progressive social implications of this work.

Empax maps, Lessons from the Swiss Cheese Map

Again, Jonathan Corum of 13pt and Shari Motro, who was at the time a fellow with Empax, teamed up to dissect the role of maps in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Motro’s article is one of the

BBC Lets Users Do Redesign

Who needs designers? The BCC is running a contest for users to redesign its site. Talk about taking social media to extremes. Still, the beeb is probably the best news site on the Web, so worth watching what happens.