Help me build an atlas of the trivial.
November 24, 2010 1:11 PM   Subscribe

I want to make some infographics! What should I graph/chart/map?

The goal: develop some infographics skillz and have fun doing it.
My tools: I'll mainly be using the Adobe suite and Excel, but I'm open to other possibilities.
I want to make: graphs, charts, maps, tables, whatever. They could be witty or straightforward or offbeat, possibly data-rich, or maybe fictional.

So, MeFites: What topics would make interesting information graphics? The more specific, the better, like "UFO sightings in New Mexico" or "eating habits of children's book characters" or "bike path/topography map" and so on. Bonus points for suggestions of data sets, good tutorials, or other tools.
posted by the_blizz to Media & Arts (12 answers total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Courtship displays of jumping spiders.
posted by dhruva at 1:19 PM on November 24, 2010


Edward Tufte is a given for this, on the off chance you're not familiar with him already.

Schott's Miscellany would be a great source for offbeat datasets.

(Any reason you're not just using your own example ideas? If this exercise is all about getting some practice in, then any subject will do just fine, no?)
posted by ella wren at 1:23 PM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


SEO tactics!
posted by thsmchnekllsfascists at 1:26 PM on November 24, 2010


Oh, and Wolfram Alpha! Playing around with that site for a bit is bound to produce something awesome.
posted by ella wren at 1:30 PM on November 24, 2010 [1 favorite]


Make it a topic you're interested in, since you're more likely to explore side paths and tangents that might reveal something interesting when included in your infographic.
posted by adamrice at 1:37 PM on November 24, 2010 [2 favorites]


Best answer: See if you can find something in The Guardian data store, especially made to answer your question.
posted by ouke at 1:38 PM on November 24, 2010


Best answer: The differences between US Candy Bars. 3 Musketeers -(caramel)- milky way -(nuts)- snickers.
posted by gregglind at 2:53 PM on November 24, 2010


I'm guessing you are from the USA, but if you have any interest in Cricket, or are interested in learning about it, The Ashes starts today in Brisbane, Australia. It's pretty much the pinnacle of (test) cricket.

There is probably more statistics for cricket out there than any other other sport - after all a single match goes for up to five days.

The cricinfo statistics page by itself is a massive resource, and it really does have some great stuff - from the common player averages to the really esoteric - which player has the most runs batting on a Friday for example.
posted by trialex at 3:24 PM on November 24, 2010


Number of English speakers in the worlds countries
posted by jasondigitized at 3:31 PM on November 24, 2010


History of Metafilter.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 4:04 PM on November 24, 2010


Contribute some charts to Wikipedia articles (via Wikimedia Commons).
posted by Harald74 at 3:09 AM on November 25, 2010




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