This past week, I made two exciting purchases for my new apartment.
Actually, that sentence is only half true. One purchase I made this week doesn't have much to do with the apartment, and one purchase was made about 3 weeks ago but did not get into my possession until this Tuesday, thanks to the USPS ignoring the forwarding address they so desperately need. Anyway.
I'd put up pictures of purchase no. 1, since they're Star Wars posters and look phenomenal, but my computer is busy installing purchase no. 2 - Adobe CS (Creative Suite) 5 - Design Premium. It's a package of software containing such heavyweights as Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and more. I'm super excited, to say the least...and I got it at a severe student discount through DOIT. This semester is basically composed of me slogging through an introductory statistics course, which is a breeze. I'm getting my money's worth, though. I'm going to every student training seminar I can. These things would cost my company probably $250 per session, but I'm taking at least 15 this semester - for free. Also, I just got a $1500 discount on this amazing software that will now consume my life, so it's all smiles here.
Showing posts with label graphics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label graphics. Show all posts
September 23, 2010
July 12, 2010
Graphing Rivera
Even if you don't like baseball (and you should, it's a beautiful sport) you should go visit this graphic by the New York Times.
Mariano Rivera is a Hall-of-Fame pitcher for a reason, and this is a really clear look at why he is so good at getting hitters out. Besides the coolness of the baseball knowledge, this caught my eye because it is an interesting blend of interactive graphic and a video. It's a creative method of communicating a unique set of information.
If anybody invents a time machine and would like to take me back to teach 8 year old Jeff how to throw a cutter, that'd be great!
Mariano Rivera is a Hall-of-Fame pitcher for a reason, and this is a really clear look at why he is so good at getting hitters out. Besides the coolness of the baseball knowledge, this caught my eye because it is an interesting blend of interactive graphic and a video. It's a creative method of communicating a unique set of information.
If anybody invents a time machine and would like to take me back to teach 8 year old Jeff how to throw a cutter, that'd be great!
May 5, 2010
wednesday graphic links
I think banning books is abhorrent and counterproductive - when I see the yearly list of "most banned books" or whatever, I immediately want to read them. To Kill A Mockingbird is an American - a world - classic. I would feel sick writing a letter asking to ban it.
If your worldview can't handle a children's book about two boy penguins raising a baby penguin, it is not the book that has the problem. Anyway, Good has produced yet another quality transparency showing the 10 most-challenged books of 2009. I don't actually like this graphic as much as I like most of their work; my main complaint is that the colors chosen to represent the different challenges don't readily correspond to the reason for the challenge. I don't know that I have a better way to do it. There are twelve listed reasons that people challenged books, ranging from offensive language to violence to suicide to age-unsuitability. Twelve categories are a lot to differentiate just using color.
Speaking of color, Randall Munroe (of nerdy webcomic XKCD) just concluded a color survey. Basically, takers of the survey would enter information about their computer monitor and their 23rd chromosome and then start to describe the colors of squares that would appear on their screen. The results are in, and some of his conclusions are pretty interesting. Not surprisingly, people get mighty tired of describing colors after twenty squares or so. The descent into madness seems to start to occur after the 3rd consecutive square of 'green.'
On a more somber note, legendary Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell passed away today. You can find more eloquent and personal stories about him from guys like Rob Neyer, Joe Posnanski, and Craig Calcaterra. I will merely link to a timely graphic from Wezen-ball. I saw this last week when Bob Uecker had his heart surgery, but it works today as well.
If your worldview can't handle a children's book about two boy penguins raising a baby penguin, it is not the book that has the problem. Anyway, Good has produced yet another quality transparency showing the 10 most-challenged books of 2009. I don't actually like this graphic as much as I like most of their work; my main complaint is that the colors chosen to represent the different challenges don't readily correspond to the reason for the challenge. I don't know that I have a better way to do it. There are twelve listed reasons that people challenged books, ranging from offensive language to violence to suicide to age-unsuitability. Twelve categories are a lot to differentiate just using color.
Speaking of color, Randall Munroe (of nerdy webcomic XKCD) just concluded a color survey. Basically, takers of the survey would enter information about their computer monitor and their 23rd chromosome and then start to describe the colors of squares that would appear on their screen. The results are in, and some of his conclusions are pretty interesting. Not surprisingly, people get mighty tired of describing colors after twenty squares or so. The descent into madness seems to start to occur after the 3rd consecutive square of 'green.'
On a more somber note, legendary Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell passed away today. You can find more eloquent and personal stories about him from guys like Rob Neyer, Joe Posnanski, and Craig Calcaterra. I will merely link to a timely graphic from Wezen-ball. I saw this last week when Bob Uecker had his heart surgery, but it works today as well.
April 16, 2010
sustainable seafood
One thing that I have a hard time keeping track of is which fishes are currently okay to eat. I never know what species are threatened, or which fish should be eaten from farms but not from the wild, or whatever. I'm not a fishmongerer or a chef, so it's not a crippling ignorance, but I still know that I could know more. Good published a transparency a little bit ago that shows which fishes are acceptable to eat - for me, the visual really helps my brain process the information.
I do understand that dolphins are off-limits, whether they're farmed or wild. Yikes.
I do understand that dolphins are off-limits, whether they're farmed or wild. Yikes.
April 15, 2010
The Answer to the Ultimate Question...
42, besides being the key to life, was also Jackie Robinson's number. Today is Jackie Robinson Day for Major League Baseball, where every player wears the number 42. Normally, the only player to wear 42 is Mariano Rivera - and he will be the last to do so. MLB retired #42 in 1997, and Rivera is the last active player who was wearing 42 at that time.
Flip Flop Fly Ball put together a cool graphic in commemoration of today, showing the last player on each team to wear #42. Go check it out - and also Go Cubs!
Flip Flop Fly Ball put together a cool graphic in commemoration of today, showing the last player on each team to wear #42. Go check it out - and also Go Cubs!
March 3, 2010
Wednesday's graphic links
It's Wednesday, and I'm just going to share some of the very cool graphics/articles/videos I've been reading over the last week.
Good produced a graphic charting the range of incomes of Americans, divided by religious belief. I think it's a neat image, but there are more things that I wonder when looking at the image.
It would be great to see a geographic component to the graph. Why are Hindus and Jews so much better off than followers of other beliefs in America? I sort of expected that Jehovah's Witnesses would have a different layout than they did. Where are the Scientologists??
Meanwhile, Slate has started a multi-piece series on the growing attention paid to road signs, and it's worth reading. Who among us hasn't gotten lost (through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN) and mentally (or verbally) cursed the blasted signs that led us astray?
Information Aesthetics city maps
I don't know that having these city maps will make you look like less of a tourist, but maybe it'll help. The concept reminds me of the wrapping paper that absolutely refuses to be crumpled up.
Good links to a study researching the origin of taco ingredients - apparently, the average taco travels over 64,000 miles before you devour it in 10 seconds. Tacos from taco bell travel much farther than that, seeing as they aren't made from earth-bound ingredients. (Note: I'm not trying to say they're delicious and therefore out of this world, but that they're not made of "food"). It's a cool image...and now I need to eat a taco.
Finally, Weather Sealed made a map of every McDonald's in America a while back, and now they've made a second version with the top 8 fast food burger joints in the States. I still haven't gone to Middleton's Sonic with Jody and told awful jokes in the minivan!
Good produced a graphic charting the range of incomes of Americans, divided by religious belief. I think it's a neat image, but there are more things that I wonder when looking at the image.
It would be great to see a geographic component to the graph. Why are Hindus and Jews so much better off than followers of other beliefs in America? I sort of expected that Jehovah's Witnesses would have a different layout than they did. Where are the Scientologists??
Meanwhile, Slate has started a multi-piece series on the growing attention paid to road signs, and it's worth reading. Who among us hasn't gotten lost (through NO FAULT OF OUR OWN) and mentally (or verbally) cursed the blasted signs that led us astray?
Information Aesthetics city maps
I don't know that having these city maps will make you look like less of a tourist, but maybe it'll help. The concept reminds me of the wrapping paper that absolutely refuses to be crumpled up.
Good links to a study researching the origin of taco ingredients - apparently, the average taco travels over 64,000 miles before you devour it in 10 seconds. Tacos from taco bell travel much farther than that, seeing as they aren't made from earth-bound ingredients. (Note: I'm not trying to say they're delicious and therefore out of this world, but that they're not made of "food"). It's a cool image...and now I need to eat a taco.
Finally, Weather Sealed made a map of every McDonald's in America a while back, and now they've made a second version with the top 8 fast food burger joints in the States. I still haven't gone to Middleton's Sonic with Jody and told awful jokes in the minivan!
February 24, 2010
More Olympic stuff
Curling is experiencing its quadrennial popularity boost. Much like the last Olympics, I find myself befuddled when I watch the surprisingly attractive curlers playing a glorified drinking game on the ice. Thankfully, somebody in the world has combined a basic knowledge of the sport with the ability to make an informative graphic...giving us a visual primer for the mystery that is curling.
There. All cleared up, right? Right.
When does broomball become an Olympic sport? I would absolutely watch Olympic broomball.
Finally, Slate has been compiling and graphing a Sap-o-Meter to keep track of the overwhelming use of sappy drivel in NBC's Olympic Coverage. I've added the meter's widget to the blog so you can keep apprised of what your emotional state is supposed to be while you're watching the festivities.
There. All cleared up, right? Right.
When does broomball become an Olympic sport? I would absolutely watch Olympic broomball.
Finally, Slate has been compiling and graphing a Sap-o-Meter to keep track of the overwhelming use of sappy drivel in NBC's Olympic Coverage. I've added the meter's widget to the blog so you can keep apprised of what your emotional state is supposed to be while you're watching the festivities.
February 13, 2010
Translating Valentine's Day
Apparently, tomorrow is Hallmark's Valentine's Day™. As such, let us all go and buy overpriced pieces of folded paper with sappy drivel and prepackaged chocolates to show our devotion to those we love.
Okay, I'm not really going to be that cynical. I have a couple of Valentine's-related links to share tonight. First, weathersealed.com has done a study on the most-used words by bloggers, separated by gender. The graphic is cleverly designed to illustrate the differences in how we speak/write.
The other link is a series of psychological tips for Valentine's Day, courtesy of Good.
Happy Valentine's Day, everybody. Find what makes you happy, even if that is only a Trader Joe's bag.
Okay, I'm not really going to be that cynical. I have a couple of Valentine's-related links to share tonight. First, weathersealed.com has done a study on the most-used words by bloggers, separated by gender. The graphic is cleverly designed to illustrate the differences in how we speak/write.
The other link is a series of psychological tips for Valentine's Day, courtesy of Good.
Happy Valentine's Day, everybody. Find what makes you happy, even if that is only a Trader Joe's bag.
February 6, 2010
Insignificance
If you are overwhelmed by what are really insignificant little problems, or just want to get a sense of where we stand in the grand scheme of things, go look at one of Good's latest graphics.
Once you're there, scroll to the right...then zoom way way in. Get out the magnifying glass and there is your deadline, unpaid bills, or flat tire.
Once you're there, scroll to the right...then zoom way way in. Get out the magnifying glass and there is your deadline, unpaid bills, or flat tire.
February 3, 2010
Graphics Roundup
Here's a collection of really informative, unique, and well-constructed graphics to inform your day.
Volunteers (by age and organization type)
I wonder how many of the volunteers are double counted, in that one person who helps with sports, church, and health organizations could be listed more than once. Still, a really interesting way to see how many people give time and to whom they give it.
Here is Good's list of their Top 10 Transparencies of 2009 - it's worth it to go look at the best ones.
Finally, courtesy of infostethics.com, Ward Shelley's oil painting multi-topic timelines are phenomenal. Beautiful, and they must have taken forever.
Volunteers (by age and organization type)
I wonder how many of the volunteers are double counted, in that one person who helps with sports, church, and health organizations could be listed more than once. Still, a really interesting way to see how many people give time and to whom they give it.
Here is Good's list of their Top 10 Transparencies of 2009 - it's worth it to go look at the best ones.
Finally, courtesy of infostethics.com, Ward Shelley's oil painting multi-topic timelines are phenomenal. Beautiful, and they must have taken forever.
November 2, 2009
XKCD, getting delicious.
xkcd
If you are a fan of :
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars
Jurassic Park
nerds
sweet graphics
You need to go look at this map of character interaction in movies. Brilliantly done, Munroe.
October 30, 2009
Friday's quick thoughts
Who doesn't want to read about typography? Oh...most of you? Oh. Go here anyway. It's McSweeney's. You'll feel cultured.
When the police officer was inspecting the apartment after the felonius punk stole our stuff (I have to admit, I like the moniker), he swabbed Greg's and my cheek to get a DNA sample. Then he took samples from palm prints on our sliding glass doors...this all happened at 4ish in the morning, of course. The lesson here? Now I'm on the books, and can't commit all of these crimes. Also I don't have a piano anymore.
Best time to be born? Well, without getting too specific, 5:30ish AM, late January in the mid 1980s. Wait, what? A bleaker life outlook? Oh man...
When the police officer was inspecting the apartment after the felonius punk stole our stuff (I have to admit, I like the moniker), he swabbed Greg's and my cheek to get a DNA sample. Then he took samples from palm prints on our sliding glass doors...this all happened at 4ish in the morning, of course. The lesson here? Now I'm on the books, and can't commit all of these crimes. Also I don't have a piano anymore.
Best time to be born? Well, without getting too specific, 5:30ish AM, late January in the mid 1980s. Wait, what? A bleaker life outlook? Oh man...
September 15, 2009
Links from the Week
With the release of his latest book, Slate.com created a Dan Brown plot-generating tool... and it’s awesome. If you’re a fan of Dan Brown, Tom Hanks, or insanely bad mullets, visit here and play around with it!
Beyond the Boxscore, a terrific baseball blog, recently addressed efficiency in graphic design. Within that article, they used a map created by French cartographers depicting Napoleon's invasion of/retreat from Russia. It's brilliant and dense and beautiful.
Good is a treasure trove of really interesting graphic visualizations, and this week they linked to an amazing interactive tool showing the changing demographics of the American labor force since 1850.
Beyond the Boxscore, a terrific baseball blog, recently addressed efficiency in graphic design. Within that article, they used a map created by French cartographers depicting Napoleon's invasion of/retreat from Russia. It's brilliant and dense and beautiful.
Good is a treasure trove of really interesting graphic visualizations, and this week they linked to an amazing interactive tool showing the changing demographics of the American labor force since 1850.
June 25, 2009
Baseball? Graphics? Yes please!
Over the last two to three days the circle of baseball blogs/writers I read have latched onto a very cool site full of baseball-related graphics...go check it out! I think my favorite image is the fantasy showdown between the Wu-Tang Clan and the E Street Band (I'd love to see Nils Lofgren start a double play), with the Mike Morgan history coming in second. Oh, Mike Morgan. The 1986 Mets graphic gives me an excuse to link to a Sesame Street special, guest-starring (among others) Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson.
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