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Infographics – or “data visualization” as it’s also known – is the design discipline of translating large, complicated quantities of information into easily understood, illustrated graphs and images. It’s a burgeoning field that’s just received a big credibility boost from the President of the United States.
Earlier this month, Barack Obama appointed info-graphic design legend Edward Tufte to assist in providing “transparency in relation to the use of recovery related funds and to prevent and detect fraud, waste and mismanagement” for the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.
So, if you’ve been wondering what $787,000,000,000 in economic stimulus tax money looks like, here’s hoping Tufte brings his A-game. I’m guessing we’ll see his infographics at work in the quarterly report prepared for the President and Congress.
To see examples of Tufte’s work, check out one of his many books or his website.
Or to see a non-Tufte-designed infographic of the U.S. government’s financial bailout history, check this out.
And so continues the Obama marketing machine’s love affair with design. Shepard Fairey’s “HOPE” Obama campaign posters were the graphic design story of 2008. (I recently saw the original at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. It’s as arresting as ever.)
Here’s hoping that graphic design can now play a role in the accountability and transparency of his government.
Amanda Cooley
March 31, 2010 @ 3:34 pm
I would love to see 1.creative brief and 2. the 1st, 2nd and 3rd linears of the data visualizations 3.how the hiring went down. Does Obama have a creative advisor who helps recommend and hire the ‘appropriate’ people (hello, ET is a genius!)? Great tip.