Last year, we presented how data-driven visualizations or infographics can be used to persuade an audience in a matter of seconds. In this post, we’ve found six new infographics meant to make the case for persuading using mucho data. Enjoy!
1) The Social Media Class of 2011
See full infographic here.
Need persuasive data to add or start using a social network for your business? Start with this infographic on the Social Media Class of 2011. It compares the major social media sites to the high school stereotypes and includes what clubs these classmates would have been in. It also gives a quote for each senior. Remember that? If nothing else, this hysterical infographic will be a great conversation starter at your next meeting. After all, all the cool kids will be there.
Image created by Flowtown
2) The U.S. Government’s Credit Rating
LoansandCredit.com came up with a data visualization that calculates the U.S. government’s credit rating based on the criteria for a FICO credit score. The infographic reveals that the government’s recent new debt pileup and overall level of debt gives it a 620 or one point above bad credit. The article says this data is a little out-of-date, so if it were updated, the government would most likely fall into the poor credit category.
That’s a persuasive argument for the upcoming election cycle.
3) Will Facebook Be the Next Step in Human Evolution?
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This video produced by Jacques Parys, a student designer studying motion graphics at Ravensbourne, shows that Facebook could be the next step in human evolution. Using a barrage of Facebook data, Parys makes a compelling argument that social networking could lead to larger brains over time. Why? Research presented from evolutionary biologist Robin Dunbar (from the 1990s) suggests that larger social networks (150 or so) can lead to larger brains.
4) Need Proof that Science is about Collaboration?
Look no further than this fascinating data visualization that maps scientific collaboration between cities around the world. Creator Olivier H. Beauchesne says that “if a UCLA researcher published a paper with a colleague at the University of Tokyo, this would create an instance of collaboration between Los Angeles and Tokyo. The result of this process is a very long list of city pairs, like Los Angeles-Tokyo, and the number of instances of scientific collaboration between them.”
Graphic published at VisualComplexity.com.
5) Another Cool Use for RFID Tags
If you saw our post on the Boston Marathon use of RFID tags to more accurately track runners’ progress, you’ll find this next data visualization uber-cool. Created during the Pachube Internet of Things Hackathon, Ben Bashford (of Infosthetics.com) joined Tim Burrell Saward and Dan Williams to connect “up our things to the Web, our environment to our things and our things to us.”
From the creators of the DisplayCabinet:
The aim of our project was to tackle turning data into information that’s easy to digest and act upon. We set out to avoid screens that draw focus and create a prototype “calm” projected display for the data created by, for and about the people, products and services that can be found in and around the home.
How we did it.
We embedded a group of inanimate ornamental objects with RFID tags. Totems or avatars that represent either people, products or services. We also added RFID tags to a set of house keys and a wallet. Functional things that you carry with you. This group of objects combine with a set of shelves containing a hidden projector and RFID reader to become DisplayCabinet.
The persuasive part is that the visualization could one day be a reality and a way to tell us about the details of our homes. Good luck to these guys.
6) Common Misconceptions You Can Use to Win Arguments
Next time you’re in a battle of brains with someone on the validity of ostriches sticking their head in the sand or which way the water flows down the drain, pull out this handy dandy infographic. Pulling together the facts on 10 commonly believed myths this infographic will persuade you to not always believe what you hear. Graphic from: MisconceptionJunction.com.
