For those who err on the side of the right brain rather than the left, a mere glimpse of a graph or table can instill fear, palpitations and cold sweats. David McCandless, an award-winning writer, designer and author based in London, has dreamed up a far more creative (and right-brain friendly) way of communicating facts and figures. His new book Information Is Beautiful explores the potential of data visualisation as a new direction for journalism and storytelling. From the ‘Billion-dollar-ogram’, which puts into perspective the amount of spending throughout the world in relation to foreign aid, the GFC and Third-World Debt, to the ‘Mountains out of Molehills’ graphic, which illustrates the number of feared world crises that haven’t eventuated, David’s creative infographics are a wonderful way to make sense out of what would usually seem to be a jumble of information.
