The beauty of data visualization | David McCandless

[@mariafatimadeoliveiraolive6449]

Apresentação maravilhosa, fiquei apaixonada pelo designer de informações. Uma ferramenta importante para a gestão de negócios. Parabéns.

[@debbydoodler33]

A very thought-provoking talk that fits nicely with my current courses on problem-solving through comm tech and philosophy of tech in education. McCandless' discussion on visualization and on 'data as the new soil' reminded me a lot of Marshall McLuhan's notions of how the literate culture (the age of writing) is dominated by the eye (also reinforced by the coloured visualization of 9:20) and of his concepts of 'rootedness' and the need to examine the soil from which we are growing as human beings (i.e., how has technology changed the soil makeup? how does that affect our senses and ways of understanding?). I agree that I, too, find myself longing for large chunks of written text to be converted (compressed) into an image/diagram and am relieved when this happens. I think this longing goes hand-in-hand with the speediness of vision.

[@ShallowBeThyGames]

That's a brilliant design. It's so obvious that you have to wonder why it's not been in use for years. It would be great if there was a search engine which collated all the information and shown it as a graphic comparison.

[@GeroSchmidt68]

Great talk about how to turn complex data sets into beautiful, simple diagrams that tease out hidden patterns and connections and even may change the way we see the world. It also provides some interesting real world examples with some unexpected insights.

[@GalaxyT25]

This talk would have made my exclusive favorites list a number of different ways. His closing remarks alone bring a new kind of stunning realization about global warming and (more specifically) carbon emissions... The Iceland volcano put out less than we do every day with airline flights alone. Shocking.

[@ShallowBeThyGames]

@MrDemonshalo Fair play. I'm not entirely sure that it necessarily needs to be incorporated into every bit of data. If it were only used in news, I'm sure it would raise the impact given to certain fact and figures. Just seeing the difference in carbon emissions by the Icelandic volcano and the grounding of planes was quite the eye opener for me.

[@braap02]

First off, why is the right red and the left blue? And where can i see these infogrpahics? they look very intriguing.

[@GeracaodeValor]

GOOD!

[@bdcp]

great rolex ad! the data from the commercial is beautiful

[@user-zp6pt5ye2y]

I think TED is the most fun and can know very amazing interesting informations if we see and watch during left over times. This video was so inspire me by using data in many ways~!

[@colourmegone]

@lordmetroid No, he actually showed that the amount that US citizens give to charity dwarfs their foriegn aid budget. That's what he meant when he used the word 'generous'. Of course there are all kinds of charities, some of which aren't really very charitable.

[@ben_east_]

"A clearing in an information Jungle" - interesting!

[@jpzurf]

3:15 - interesting to the context of past panics in the media are much the same today as in the past 20 years - pandemics and stinging insects!

[@LeetMath]

yeah not sure what everyone was panicking about with this coronavirus thing

[@MrDemonshalo]

@ShallowBeThyGames I've actually tried to make a statistics website that uses a model like that instead of just relying on the X Y model where variables are static and non comparable. The problem was that there is too much data out there and sorting everything out in the right order takes a huge amount of time and effort, which is why I had to shut it down. Yet still I believe that we will need a software like that in the near future to be able to visualize data and come to new conclusions

[@DeviantincTV]

Does the Rolex add remind anyone else of Zoolander - "water is the essence of wetness, wetness is the essence of beauty" I love data visualisations BTW - makes me wanna be a data analyst!

[@TurboGC8]

I was schooled in a Private Christian school that watch recorded classrooms on tape and we had supervisers, but my point is that I grew up watching television to learn and same with cable television as a child. Im a History / Discover / Science channel lover.

[@psalib89]

that rolex ad is class

[@xNickTheBrickx]

at 2:35 he says "douche"... the appropriate sound effect.

[@kbjo94]

Great video!! exquisite craftsmanship,stunning design,and unparalleled quality,will never be obsolete!!

[@AlasdairBoyd1]

Does anyone know what the name of the first graph he shows is? The one with the rectangles of relative size based on data values? I'm trying to find a already built mechanism for graphing my data in this way but I don't know what to search for?

[@rg0057]

I disagree about the military numbers. What's important in a military is how much damage it can do to other nations, not how much money is available to be spent, or how many people AREN'T in it. When you get down to it, a military only represents and acts on the orders of its government (if that) and is not accountable to the people at all.

[@syntaxpromo]

@DrQuijano it depends whether your from Uk or USA doesn't it. Information is beautiful do versions for each.

[@CommanderPipesMcGee]

There's your data boys. If your girl is planning a trip for spring break without you.. dump her lol

[@doloppost]

I think data visualisation is the new wave that will transform the way we look at the world. Foursquare tells you where you hang out, Sniftag tells you who your dog is seeing and augmented reality adds another layer to reality. What comes after that could be scary: setting standards and automatic adjustments. Coming home and your intelligent house putting up a Michael Bolton song because you seem "stressed".

[@BenKressel]

"Let the dataset change your mindset." Nice one!

[@lonetallsassy]

@happysplodie He's British, our 'Left' is socialist hence Red. Our 'Right' is conservative (also with a upper case C) hence Blue.

[@somethingness]

"When you're lost in information, an information map is kinda useful." Indeed.

[@RudeTubeC4]

@arhabersham easy. pay slip + bank statement + excel spreadsheet + graph maker

[@moeezS]

6:19 Peak times for break ups. Makes sense.

[@daniaghassoub794]

Oh the angle view of the cameraman underneath the speaker is just awful. Everything else very interesting !

[@brinstar117]

I don't know where he got his bandwidth figures of computer devices at 09:25, but they're all vastly off the mark. It shows: 1250 MB/s - same bandwidth as a computer network 125 MB/s - USB key 12.5 MB/s - hard disk A computer network is a rather vague description, but 1000 Mbit/s (125 MB/s) is the fastest consumer level network card speed. USB 2.0 is limited to 60MB/s. Most USB keys transfer at a max of ~30 MB/s. A hard disk transfers at up to ~150 MB/s. Where did he get these numbers?

[@greifocs]

@takigan I respect a watch that is more badass than me. (That's not very much, but still. It's very hard for a watch.)

[@startreking]

Program ends at 18:14

[@christo930]

The military budget is $1T, not 600 billion according to a peer reviewed study in 2009.

[@CptFuzzball]

data means knowledge ... and knowledge, as everyone knows, is power. But I'd never thought I'd say data equals beauty.

[@KnightsofEmerald]

@WeatherManToBe yeah, but he wanted to keep the same units for better comparason. That's the whole point of this lecturesd: presenting data properly. Don't compare apples with oranges.

[@KnightsofEmerald]

That was an epic Rolex commercial at the end O.o

[@DarwinsBeerReviews]

I had a breakup two weeks before Christmas. Turns out to be a popular time. Who knew.

[@clemofish]

@takigan i would thank rolex for making ted possible

[@warlockjd]

@ChrisAFM Effective visualizations tell the story of the data. He just makes a pretty picture that is very hard to figure out what is going on. Hence the bad name I discuss.

[@ImDrizzt]

Excellent stuff, really gets you thinking.

[@SwobyJ]

@DrQuijano I'm with cykolink - though USA has it the other way, in most other countries red is for the left and (maybe) blue on the right. Orange for the more socialized/unionized left, (red and) black for the fascists, green for the environmental, etc.

[@siausitehopa]

at 11:00 Thank you.

[@user-lt3oz3nq5s]

감사합니다.

[@B1aDK]

At 14:26 - Plants, where is WEED? Btw, why is Green tea both above and below the line?

[@standardguru8]

what are the programs he uses? and where to get them? does anyone know??

[@tantarantaran]

finally, no more sitting 12000 feet deep underwater and not knowing what time it is!

[@edmundo200]

Very enlightening.

[@47f0]

@WeatherManToBe - Do you not know that words like "trillion" and "billion" have different meanings, depending on your country? Trillion, for the record, may mean either 10^18, or 10^12.

[@superwesman]

@arhabersham use mint.com dude! it was an eye opener for me

[@adam.phelps]

He has some pretty pictures.

[@momentary_]

@WeatherManToBe What's easier to visualize and compare? 1 trillion and 20 billion? or 1,000 billion and 20 billion.

[@bdrobe2]

Zornwil, he specifically said, "This is the landscape for violent video games". Not, "This is the landscape for media driven fear". Point? The media only discussed 1 subject, terrorism. Therefore, there WOULD be a gap in data representing the, "landscape for violent video games". My co-workers didn't understand that part either.

[@IdleGod]

@JoesephKatana Go to his website, find the spreadsheet he used. The study he cites has significant flaws. Even if it wasn't flawed, it was only set up to show that it wasn't harmful; meaning you cannot conclude a positive effect from it.

[@nonz3r0]

Here... come, look here look at our sophisticated line of watches that all speakers here at TED personally endorse and wear. You DO wanna be part of the smart, witty and progressive crowd that you know that we are, don't you? Of course you DOOOO! ;) Come join us... welcome, visa mastercard accepted. You know you want to...

[@SamSpade2010]

@Santi2c So where's it come from in the first place?

[@LilyRoberts123]

the rolex ad stole Edward Scissorhand's soundtrack!!!!

[@Thiink2ice]

i scrolled down here before the commercial started and i was like "what the hell did he just watch?"

[@arct1c409]

@arhabersham isn't this what Mint.com is working towards?

[@j_honce]

where can i find all these graphs and apps?!

[@andrewmiller1359]

It is too bad that visuals were not displayed for longer periods of time. It is like saying there is a beautiful painting in the room, but look at me talk about it. Otherwise, the topic was super interesting.

[@luh2]

I agree, that context is very important, but who chooses what's important? I think images are easier to believe, but they contain also way better possibilities of suggesting things that aren't, - even more dangerous than really wrong data, because they might be correct, and still portray and transmit the wrong idea! Think about this for a second. I'd be careful with over rating, and being overly happy with visualised data!

[@maximusspqr]

Whenever a british person says 'master' I think of Jedis.

[@warlockjd]

Sure, but I'll let Stephen Few speak: " In McCandless’ case, the stories that they usually tell, if communicated in words alone, would require only a short sentence or two. They make a simple statement in a way that looks lighthearted and fun. As such, they invite viewers to accept the message superficially, not to explore or contemplate deeply. This is not the true realm of analytics."

[@tessb]

LOL at the breakup peak on april fools. "its over" "OH GOOD ONE HAHA!" "..... no seriously."

[@LeonidasGGG]

Isn't this a science... Infography? If it ain't, it should be. And it should be used everywhere.

[@jmwee]

Makes me want to be a data nerd (meant in the nicest way)

[@wasdwasdedsf]

theres no bad data. its correct information, people not understanding things is not relevant. and I dont see difference between visual and nonevisual

[@PDeRop]

Please read Dambisa Moyo's book : Dead Aid

[@ChristiaanMeyer]

I have his book!

[@mekilae]

@TheLiberalSoup saw that too

[@warlockjd]

@ChrisAFM Read Stepehen Few's blog, Perceptual Edge for more. Do a google search for "perceptualedge, David McCandless. He has a 1 page review of this presentation and is more eloquent than I

[@Kommaseir]

Interesting

[@MrDemonshalo]

@ShallowBeThyGames That certainly will be the case. I was for instance thinking of taking all the data the cia.gov website has through a simple script and then make countries like China & US comparable on all possible scales like x = age, Y = child-mortality, Color = total inhabitant per country and regular Text for additional variable comparison =) How main question is, how many people would actually use such a service?

[@SamSpade2010]

Profiteering = where the money comes from in the first place

[@ExclusiveManual]

fantastic

[@samala51]

Fuaaaark TED ROCKS

[@zornwil]

This presentation is more about lies, damn lies, and statistics and how to visualize things to your liking. There is NOTHING wrong with that, I just think the true message here has less to do with comprehensive visualization of complex data than dumbing down data to dismiss what you don't like. Otherwise, each example he has given actually requires MANY visualization and just isn't so simple anymore.

[@TrollinLikeABosh]

I am here for the Rolex commercial.

[@Redbeef]

pleasantly surprised that the word 'douche' is now an appropriate sound effect

[@takigan]

Nice, Rolex. So if I ever decide to go Scuba Diving in a deep-sea trench, I can rest assured that my Rolex watch will remain perfectly intact and functional, even if I no longer am.

[@danimillistudio]

Information design my bum.. one of the first principles you learn is to avoid using reddish hues with green ones as color codes, because there are people out there who are COLOR BLIND!

[@eainen]

So. In essence, this guy grabs things from info threads on 4chan and posts it around? :P

[@ChrisAFM]

@warlockjd Interesting you say that, can you enlighten me on your opinion?

[@steve0281]

Wait a minute! Did this guy just say (at about 16:00) that because he is a journalist that he "naturally" leans to the left of the political spectrum?

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

so, it's all "let's make information look pretty enough that you put it up in a gallery, with better layout that make people pay attnetion". Surely what you need to be doing is giving the cold hard facts if you're presenting some very important imformation to some very important people (execs, business men etc), not spending ages making a pretty layout to put it all on? Seems a bit bizarre and not very important, and wouldn't really make much of a difference anway, but I'll go along with it.

[@webgpu]

Rolex Deepsea.I bet Aquaman has one.

[@EclecticSceptic]

I laughed when I saw 'April Fool's Day'. Hahaha

[@drukenhard]

@TheSpiritOfTheTimes I assume you mean "Carbon neutral volcano" or when he said "douche"

[@zornwil]

I can visualize things quite neatly as well if I Ignore major things and create my own universe of information without a clear set of criteria other than as I like. The "fears" thing is a primary example, it's a bit of nonsense ot talk about "here's fears the media reports" and ignore 9/11 and terrorism and say "ah, that created a gap!" Even though that's not the point, it's the visualizations, problem is that how do you visualize the more complex reality he ignores?

[@MrBranboom]

A Rolex is a piece of jewelry, nothing more. I can't afford one, but hating on people that can is pathetic.

[@Nashy119]

We need websites, lots and lots of websites.

[@Reimancd]

I want eleven thousand nine hundred billion Rolexes

[@BravoSquirrel]

Why would that matter?

[@KGR89]

@Origen305 Ironically all this proves is that visual data can be jsut as easily manipulated as text data.

[@nathanapollon3568]

what did he mean by saying Data is the new soil? anybody?

[@sebacarde]

mccandless... david or Christopher McCandless guess depends on how tied up from technology you are

[@dwill8043]

We are all in debt to the carbon sinks, it used to be the carbon banks. But the internet search engines don't reflect that phrase the same anymore, adapted metaphors i guesses.

[@allenofblacksteel9169]

Why did David McCandless develop the Billion dollar o gram?

[@MumblinGamer]

is it just me or does this guy sound like Noel Fielding