omnia mea mecum fero

From simple charts to complex maps and infographics, Brian Suda's round-up of the best – and mostly free – tools has everything you need to bring your data to life...

A common question is how to get started with data visualisations. Beyond following blogs, you need to practice – and to practice, you need to understand the tools available. In this article, get introduced to 20 different tools for creating visualisations: from simple charts to complex graphs, maps and infographics. Almost everything here is available for free, and \you may have installed already...

Via Lauren Moss

When I meet with people and talk about our work, I get asked a lot what technology we use to create interactive and dynamic data visualizations.

At Interactive Things, we have a set of preferred libraries, applications and services that we use regularly in our work. We will select the most fitting tool for the job depending on the requirements of the project. Sometimes a really simple tool is all you need to create something meaningful. On other occasions, a more multifaceted repertoire is needed. But how does one choose the right thing to use? An endless list of every tool available, does not answer that question and a recommendation from a friend is oftentimes more valuable.

That’s why we have put together a selection of tools that we use the most and that we enjoy working with. We called it selection.datavisualization.ch. It includes libraries for plotting data on maps, frameworks for creating charts, graphs and diagrams and tools to simplify the handling of data. Even if you’re not into programming, you’ll find applications that can be used without writing one single line of code. We will keep this list as a living repository and add / remove things as technology develops...

Via Lauren Moss, Pepe Crespo, Sonia C. Alonso

When trying to piece together the devices that we use to connect to each other, it’s easy to see that it’s going to take a piece of paper the size of Texas to feature them all. Even if we manage to do so, we will be far from connecting them all in whatever way they use the Internet. So what do we do? Well, we do it anyway, and on a computer of course. Intel put together a really interesting infographic that lines up all the devices that we use to connect to each other.

For the first time, we can get a clear view of how the technological infrastructure was built and to what extent it reaches out. As you can see, the numbers represented get multiplied with each major technological milestone, and it’s easy to see that we’re heading for something really interesting in the future. Whatever it will be that will beat the Internet will be major, and even though I can’t imagine what that will be right now, it’s still exciting to know that we always come up with something to beat the previous technology. What do you think will be the next big thing in technology that will top the Internet?

Via Lauren Moss

When trying to piece together the devices that we use to connect to each other, it’s easy to see that it’s going to take a piece of paper the size of Texas to feature them all. Even if we manage to do so, we will be far from connecting them all in whatever way they use the Internet. So what do we do? Well, we do it anyway, and on a computer of course. Intel put together a really interesting infographic that lines up all the devices that we use to connect to each other.

For the first time, we can get a clear view of how the technological infrastructure was built and to what extent it reaches out. As you can see, the numbers represented get multiplied with each major technological milestone, and it’s easy to see that we’re heading for something really interesting in the future. Whatever it will be that will beat the Internet will be major, and even though I can’t imagine what that will be right now, it’s still exciting to know that we always come up with something to beat the previous technology. What do you think will be the next big thing in technology that will top the Internet?

Via Lauren Moss

Want to create an attractive infographic but don’t have the budget to hire a professional designer?

Then you should try using an infographic-creation tool.

If your small business is looking for an eye-catching and easy to comprehend way to teach, inform, and inspire others about its products and services, infographics might be a good solution. Infographics can be more effective and memorable than other ways to present data, making them particularly effective for online audiences.

To create an infographic, you should make a list of possible ideas that you want to get across, create the initial draft or skeleton, color scheme it, and research your content from authoritative sites. Then it’s time to select your design platform.

 

Read about three online tools that can help you create stunning infographics...

Via Lauren Moss

We have a list of 10 Best Tools for Creating Infographics. Making infographics from scratch can be a tough as and not all the people can do it.

This is where some tools can help — numerous resources are available to help you while designing and creating infographics. Graphics and visualization samples from each website are included in this list, so you can visit each link and see the infographics directly from the source.

Check out this list of 10 Best Tools for Creating Infographics, and find the ones that suit your needs the best...

Via Lauren Moss

Geocube is an attractive online resource about Geography. Geocube is based on the principle of the Rubik Cube with six faces and 54 topics. It is a virtual and easily accessible website which is available online for free. Move the Geocube around with your mouse and explore the faces and topics.Geocube provides an accessible way to read, see and watch what Geography is and geographers do. This is a European initiative developed by HERODOT, the European Network for Geography in Higher Education and is available to anyone who is interested in Geography.

Via Smaragda Papadopoulou, Informatics