Fast and slow visualization
Mar 08, 2012 12:10 am • Permalink James Cheshire ponders the difference between fast and slow thinking maps, and the dying breed of the latter.
So do the renowned folks at the NY Times Graphics Dept. prefer fast or slow thinking visualisations? I asked them what they think makes a successful map. Archie Tse said what I hoped he would: the best maps readable, or interpretable, at a number of levels. They grab interest from across the room and offer the headlines before drawing the viewer ever closer to reveal intricate detail. I think of these as rare visualisations for fast and slow thinking. The impact of such excellent maps is manifest by the popularity of atlases and why they inspire so many to become cartographers and/or travel the world.
A graphic that takes a little while to understand doesn't always mean it was a failure in design. It might mean that the underlying data is hard to understand. Likewise, a graphic that isn't what you expect might let you answer different questions than from the usual standby.
[Spatial Analysis]
Kartograph aims to make interactive vector maps easier
Mar 07, 2012 10:41 am • Permalink 
Gregor Aisch wanted a better way to make maps online that allowed something other than the Mercator projection, so he developed his own. The result is Kartograph, a lightweight framework "for building interactive map applications without Google Maps or any other mapping service. It was created with the needs of designers and data journalists in mind." No more tiles.
The framework is still in its infancy, with not much documentation, but the map-making process seems to be straightforward. It's basically a two-step process. First you generate an SVG map with Kartograph's Python component, and then you load the SVG with the JavaScript component, which is built on top of Raphael.
Check out the showcase for a sense of what it can do. You've got your choropleth, chart symbols, and 3-dimensional projections. The star however is clearly the map of Italy, complete with a cute little ferry that follows a geo path.
[Kartograph]
Geography of government benefits
Mar 07, 2012 03:42 am • Permalink 
I missed this one a while back, but The New York Times had a look at the growth of government benefit programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, in the United States. On the surface, it looks like your standard choropleth map that shows percent of income from government benefits, but there's a lot going on here that makes the piece really good.
First, the arrows on the top right let you browse through decades, going back to 1969. Roll over counties to see a time series for the corresponding region against the national average. The sidebar on the left lets you view breakdowns for different programs. And finally, the guide to key trends provides a narrative for noteworthy regions and patterns.
Now that's some good data journalism.
[New York Times | Thanks, Jordan]
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