The James Altucher Show 323 - David McCandless: Visual Storytelling: Transforming Data into Stories through Infographics
Mar 1, 2018
David McCandless, a renowned data journalist and founder of informationisbeautiful.net, dives into the captivating world of data visualization. He shares how he transitioned from journalism to creating infographics that simplify complex stories. From viral projects like the Billion Dollar-o-Gram to analyzing breakup trends through Facebook data, McCandless showcases the power of visuals in making information understandable. He also discusses the historical roots of infographics and how they can clarify real-world issues, all while revealing a few humorous insights along the way.
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From Journalist To Visual Storyteller
- David McCandless shifted from traditional journalism to creating diagrams after feeling overwhelmed by research and drawing a sketch about creationism vs. evolution.
- That sketch became his realization he could communicate complex topics visually instead of writing full articles.
Nonlinear Graphics Spark Discovery
- Nonlinear visualizations let readers explore data their own way and discover connections they wouldn't in lists.
- Visual maps invite curiosity and comparisons across regions, revealing patterns the brain links faster than text.
Show Scale By Combining Numbers Visually
- Publish interactive visuals to gather scattered numbers into one comparable view so audiences grasp scale and contrast quickly.
- Use proportional shapes to let readers instantly compare large figures like billions across topics.
