Data Visualization News

If you want to add animation to your charts that’s a clear sign that you have too much free time. Go out and play with the kids instead.

Yes, animation is a powerful attention-grabber, even more powerful than a glossy 3D pie chart in Crystal Xcelsius. And yes, it can actually be helpful (from time to time). But.

A good example of animation in data visualization is the famous Hans Rosling’s TED presentation, where a long-term pattern is clearly seen (at min 4:00):

You need a better color palette for your Excel charts, but you are a mere mortal and your artistic skills are less than stellar. Hell, you can’t even choose the right tie for a suit! So, what do you do? (hint: watch the video below)

Maybe we could ask Edward Tufte for advice. In Envisioning Information, he writes:

What palette of colors should we choose to represent and illuminate information? A grand strategy is to use colors found in nature (…). Nature’s colors are familiar and coherent, possessing a widely accepted harmony to the human eye (…). A palette of nature’s colors helps suppress production of garish and content-empty chartjunk.

You need a better color palette for your Excel charts, but you are a mere mortal and your artistic skills are less than stellar. Hell, you can’t even choose the right tie for a suit! So, what do you do? (hint: watch the video below)

Maybe we could ask Edward Tufte for advice. In Envisioning Information, he writes:

What palette of colors should we choose to represent and illuminate information? A grand strategy is to use colors found in nature (…). Nature’s colors are familiar and coherent, possessing a widely accepted harmony to the human eye (…). A palette of nature’s colors helps suppress production of garish and content-empty chartjunk.

I don’t know how to cook and, frankly, I don’t want to learn. But my wife is coming late from work, I’m tired of take-away food and we must feed the kids. So I guess I have to add cooking to my daily routine.

Here in Europe, Thermomix (also known as “Bimby”) is a very popular kitchen appliance (specially among men, so I’m told). You just add ingredients, press three buttons (temperature, speed and time) et voilà, diner is ready (sort of). Follow the recipe  and what you get what you expect. That’s good enough for me.