15 Stunning Examples of Data Visualization
Data Visualization is a method of presenting information in a graphical form. Good data visualization should appear as if it is a work of art. This intrigues the viewer and draws them in so that they can further investigate the data and info that the graphic represents. In this post there are 15 stunning examples of Data Visualization that are true works of art.
Click on the title or image for a larger view of each visualization.
The Strengths of Nations
Here’s an image that discusses the variations in how different nations pursue science.
Madrid.Citymurmur
CityMurmur tries to understand and visualize how media attention reshapes the urban space and city.
Genome
Jules & Jim
This visual represents the relationship between characters in the movie Jules & Jim.
One Week of the Guardian
This is one day in a series that takes the news from one week of the Guardian newspaper, and visually represents it as a series of static visualisations.
One Week of the Guardian
Country Continent GDP Population Radial Convergence
Leisure & Poverty
Stock Data
This image shows historical stock price data plotted as 3D graphs.
NYTimes Threads – Russian Presidents
Food & Poverty
Housing & Poverty
Visualizing the Guardian: Beckham and Rooney
This is a timepiece visualization of the mentions of David Beckham and Wayne Rooney in Guardian stories between 1999 and 2008.
3 Month Crocheting
Design Research Maps
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Aug 12, 2009
really creative and such a great idea for performance graphing.
Aug 12, 2009
Awesome collection
Aug 12, 2009
nice collection! But the first two links seem to be broken.
Aug 12, 2009
These are, to be sure, visually stunning examples of data visualization. But I’m not sure that they are stunning examples of _effective_ visualization. I really have no idea what knowledge these images convey. Good visualization, as I try to practice it, transforms raw data into conclusions. In many of these cases, the visualization not only turns data into confusion, it obscures the data itself. Perhaps it is just that the context is missing, but even there one must remember that readers will often skip over the copy to look at the pictures, so you can’t count on context to make sense out of an image.
Aug 12, 2009
Very cool from a distance, like a Kandinsky painting… but like Jeff, I would not dare try to understand them.
Aug 12, 2009
It seems like the more information that needs to be in the image, the more creative they have to be. At the same time there is so much information and detail these things would have to be printed in a HUGE size.
Aug 12, 2009
I love the overlap of art and science here. I’ve never been entirely sure the practical purpose of these (although as someone mentioned, perhaps in context it is more obvious). But I’m really fascinated with them.
Aug 12, 2009
Nice post! Nitpick:
Gaurdian => Guardian
Thanks!
Aug 12, 2009
Wow these are brilliant! I have no idea how to interpret any of the info, but it is really eye catching. Specially love Leisure & Poverty, and Housing & Poverty ones. I’m very intrigued on how they come up with the design and usability (or readability?). The designing process of one of these would be a really really interesting thing to find out. Thanks for posting.
Aug 12, 2009
those really are stunning.
Aug 12, 2009
Data visualization is about understanding quickly what a lot of data says about a certain situation or issue. They should serve as a shortcut for your brain. Most of these images fail to achieve this basic goal. I’ve made an honest effort to understand a few of them.
Just like an ultra-modern kitchen without storage space, it looks great until you try to use it.
Aug 12, 2009
Very nice collection. All of these works are really creative.Thanks for sharing this with us.
Aug 12, 2009
I’ve seen a few of these before, but WOW this collection has blown my mind!
Aug 12, 2009
It’s amazing how boring data can become something this beautiful…
Aug 12, 2009
The examples of graphics is fantastic!
Nice collection.
Aug 12, 2009
Great representations of boring data.
Aug 12, 2009
Looks cool, but I’ve got to agree with the above comments. In most of these, the actual data itself is obfuscated by the prettiness rather than being made easier to understand.
Aug 13, 2009
awesome design, but I will not try to understand the context that is trying to be conveyed…
Aug 14, 2009
This is an amazing collection. Id like to see them at a higher resolution so I can see them in greater detail. Blown away!
Aug 14, 2009
Great abstract arts
Aug 14, 2009
Thanks, Joel. I am keeping this phrase as the simplest way of summarizing what I feel seeing this kind of graphics (in this and other situations).
In spite of their visual allure, most of them are more eye-candy than real awesome design. Design is about use and communication, not just about prettiness.
Aug 14, 2009
Very nice – you need to go to the original sources to understand them: just follow the links. I like the Strengths of Nations one. Is surprising how the USA is more strong in social sciences and health, yet they produce incredible tech.
Aug 14, 2009
Great visual effects, thanks for sharing
Aug 15, 2009
Some spectacularly clever and beautiful visualisations – thank you.
Aug 15, 2009
Nice collection of art data visualization. I really like their designs, but I’m really not convinced of their effectiveness.
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks for this beautiful collection!
Aug 17, 2009
Stunning indeed. I wonder what/who each point/line/curve represents. Would like to see how effective they are.
The Stock graph is quite intriguing. The “explosion” effect of the red/pink color could possibly symbolize a peak in the price of a particular stock. Meaning if a stock is “exploding”, go buy it because you will make a lot of money =]
Thanks for sharing.
Aug 17, 2009
Who would have thought data could have looked so good!?
Aug 17, 2009
If you want to see another nice visualization look at http://www.sociomap.com. It is maybe not so artistic but very comprehensive.
Aug 18, 2009
Visualizations can be developed for different purposes. Sometimes, even if “the public” isn’t able to read it, it doesn’t mean that it’s a useless visualization. Maybe it was just used to understand something (some data, a system) by its creator. Its aim isn’t being published or communicate data.
Aug 19, 2009
Although I agree that these are beautiful, isn’t the point of graphically representing information to take complex info and lay it out in a way that can be easily understood via a visual format? If so, then I don’t believe these are truly “good visual design”. Food for thought.
Aug 20, 2009
I am with Jeff (…transform raw data into conclusions). I turnaround companies. I typically use existing performance information to provide new insight into what is reality. I gain trust when I present a simple graph that results in an owner saying “wow, I had no idea…”. These are beautiful works of art but for my clients, they would only add to the level of frustration and confusion that has resulted from over complicated management systems.
Aug 20, 2009
This one is good and not listed:
http://personas.media.mit.edu/personasWeb
Aug 21, 2009
Great collection of resources though i days back i found something very interesting almost the similar on some other website.
Aug 22, 2009
here is another interesting graphic not listed.
http://www.jeremywisecup.com/images/worksmade/AMC_full.jpg
Aug 27, 2009
Are there special apps that are used to create half this stuff? I realise illustrator must play a big part.. but seriously who is going to sit there and draw all the lines in something like: Country “Continent GDP Population Radial Convergence” and “NYTimes Threads – Russian Presidents”?
Would love to know… thanks!
Aug 27, 2009
Check out http://www.tableausoftware.com. I’ve seen some really amazing things designed with there desktop software.
Sep 9, 2009
Grrrrrrrrrrrrreat collection!
Is there a way to get the images in big size format? I’d love to print some of them out and hang them in my office
Sep 11, 2009
nice one guys.
Oct 28, 2009
As a “designer,” I would have to say at first I was delighted when I found this blog.
Then, I got really angry!
None of these images can be downloaded at a resolution where the text can actually be read! My guess is that this isn’t an accident, but reflects a specific form of brain damage specific to “designers” that content is more or ess irrelevant, that what counts is “stunning” graphics.
Well, no, actually something whie is graphicaly “stunning” but fails to communicate information clearly and understandably is in fact WORTH LESS than an excel pie chart. Sorry!
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION.
It would be great to be able to analyze whether these designers were actually communicating something effectively or just making pretty pictures. Sorrythis rant is more directed at designers in general than at this blog, maybe there are copyright issues or something, but all they function as here is as a strage exercise in decoration.
Oct 28, 2009
@Benjamin: Did you actually try clicking on the images as you were instructed in the post? http://www.flickr.com/photos/densitydesign/3046906412/sizes/o/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/densitydesign/3220134613/sizes/o/ http://www.designingthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/03_wednesday_a1_72.jpg
Nov 3, 2009
Wow – stunning and fascinating! Anything which can present such complex data and statistics in ways appealing to so many people has to be a winner!
Nov 22, 2009
Really amazing collection
adding you to my bookmark collection …. awesome work!
thanks!