The Washington Metro subway map

Information graphics or infographics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics are used anywhere where information needs to be explained quickly or simply, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. They are also used extensively as tools by computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians to ease the process of developing and communicating conceptual information. They are applied in all aspects of scientific visualization. Download high resolution version (1085x1240, 225 KB)Map of the Washington DC Metrorail system. ... Download high resolution version (1085x1240, 225 KB)Map of the Washington DC Metrorail system. ... The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ... The ASCII codes for the word Wikipedia represented in binary, the numeral system most commonly used for encoding computer information. ... For other uses, see Data (disambiguation). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... A stop sign informs drivers to stop. ... See map for the navigational aid The acronym MAPS could refer to: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Mail Abuse Prevention System Multi-jurisdictional Automated Preclearance System Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society Medical Advanced Pain Specialists Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Multidisciplinary Academic PerspectiveS Metropolitan Area ProjectS Category: ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The mercurial nature of technical writing often eludes definition. ... Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Leonhard Euler, considered one of the greatest mathematicians of all time A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of mathematics. ... Statisticians or people who made notable contributions to the theories of statistics, or related aspects of probability, or machine learning: // Odd Olai Aalen (1947–) Gottfried Achenwall (1719–1772) Abraham Manie Adelstein (1916–1992) John Aitchison (1926–) Alexander Aitken (1895–1967) Aleyamma George Hirotsugu Akaike (1927–) Oskar Anderson (1887–1960) Peter... Scientific- (or data-), and Information visualization are branches of computer graphics and user interface design that are concerned with presenting data to users, by means of interactive or animated digital images. ...

History

Early experiments

In prehistory, early humans created the first information graphics: cave paintings and later maps. Map-making began several millennia before writing, and map at Çatalhöyük dates from around 7500 BCE. Later icons were used to keep record of cattle and stock. The Indians of Mesoamerica used imagery to depict the journeys of past generations. Illegible on their own, they served as a supportive element to memory and storytelling. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Prehistoric man. ... Cave, or rock, paintings are paintings painted on cave or rock walls and ceilings, usually dating to pre_historic times. ... See map for the navigational aid The acronym MAPS could refer to: Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies Mail Abuse Prevention System Multi-jurisdictional Automated Preclearance System Mid-Atlantic Percussion Society Medical Advanced Pain Specialists Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship Multidisciplinary Academic PerspectiveS Metropolitan Area ProjectS Category: ... Illustration of a scribe writing Writing, in its most common sense, is the preservation of and the preserved text on a medium, with the use of signs or symbols. ... Excavations at the South Area of Çatal Höyük Çatalhöyük (also Çatal Höyük and Çatal Hüyük, or any of the three without diacritics; çatal is Turkish for fork, höyük for mound) was a very large Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement in southern... Location of Mesoamerica in the Americas. ...

In 1626 Christopher Scheiner published the Rosa Ursina sive Sol which used a variety of graphics to reveal his astronomical research on the sun. He used a series of images to explain the rotation of the sun over time (by tracking sunspots). Events September 30 - Nurhaci, chieftain of the Jurchens and founder of the Qing Dynasty dies and is succeeded by his son Hong Taiji. ... Christoph Scheiner (July 25, 1573 or 1575 – June 18, 1650) was a German astronomer and Jesuit. ...

In 1786, William Playfair published the first data graphs in his book The Commercial and Political Atlas. The book is filled with statistical graphs that represent the economy of 18th century England using bar charts and histograms. In 1801 Playfair introduced the first area chart in Statistical Breviary. 1786 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... William Playfair (September 22, 1759 - February 11, 1823) a Scottish engineer and political economist, was an important inventor of statistical graphics. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem specific to England — the United Kingdom anthem is God Save the Queen. ... A bar chart is a chart with rectangular bars of lengths usually proportional to the magnitudes or frequencies of what they represent. ... Example of a histogram of 100 normally distributed random values. ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Area Chart Layered Area Chart An area chart displays graphically quantitive data. ...

James Joseph Sylvester introduced the term "graph" in 1878 and published a set of diagrams showing the relationship between chemical bonds and mathematical properties. These were also the first mathematic graphs. James Joseph Sylvester James Joseph Sylvester (September 3, 1814 London - March 15, 1897 Oxford) was an English mathematician. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... In chemistry, a chemical bond is the force which holds together atoms in molecules or crystals. ... graph theory. ...

Charles Minard's information graphic of Napoleon's March

1861 saw the release of a seminal information graphic on the subject of Napoleon's disastrous march on Moscow. The creator, Charles Joseph Minard, captured four different changing variables that contributed to the failure, in a single two-dimensional image: the army's direction as they traveled, the location the troops passed through, the size of the army as troops died from hunger and wounds, and the freezing temperatures they experienced. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (988x565, 87 KB)Minards graph showing Napoleons advance across Europe and into Russia (1885) This map by Charles Joseph Minard shows the advance of Napoleons army into Russia. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (988x565, 87 KB)Minards graph showing Napoleons advance across Europe and into Russia (1885) This map by Charles Joseph Minard shows the advance of Napoleons army into Russia. ... 1861 (MDCCCLXI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar) // January 1 - Benito Juárez captures Mexico City January 2 - Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia dies and is succeeded by... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow were built to commemorate the Russian victory against Napoleon. ... Categories: Possible copyright violations ... Dimension (from Latin measured out) is, in essence, the number of degrees of freedom available for movement in a space. ...

The development of a visual language in the 20th century

In 1936 Otto Neurath introduced a system of pictographs intended to function as an international visual or picture language. Isotype included a set of stylized human figures which were the basis for the ubiquitous modern stick figures. 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Otto Neurath (December 10, 1882-December 22, 1945) was an Austrian sociologist, political economist, and an unorthodox Marxist. ... Pictogram for public toilets A pictogram or pictograph is a symbol which represents an object or a concept by illustration. ... A stick figure A stick figure is a very crude type of drawing, generally of the human form, although stick figures of other types of animals are possible (for example, a stick figure dog). ...

In 1942 Isidore Isou published the Lettrist manifesto. Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Isidore Isou (born Ioan-Isidor Goldstein, 1925, in BotoÅŸani) is a Romanian-French Jewish poet, film critic, visual artist and founder of Lettrisme. ... Lettrism is an artistic style which was created in Romania by Isidore Isou in 1942, when he was only sixteen years old, according to Jean-Paul Curtay in La Poesie Lettriste (Paris 1974). ...

The 1972 Munich Olympics were the venue for Otl Aicher to introduce a new set of pictograms that proved to be extremely popular, and influenced the ubiquitous modern stick figures used in public signs. Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Games of the XX Olympiad were held in 1972 in Munich, West Germany. ... Otl Aicher, also known as Otto Aicher (May 13, 1922 - September 1, 1991) was one of the leading German graphic designers of the 20th century. ... Pictogram for public toilets A pictogram or pictograph is a symbol which represents an object or a concept by illustration. ... A stick figure A stick figure is a very crude type of drawing, generally of the human form, although stick figures of other types of animals are possible (for example, a stick figure dog). ...

The Pioneer Plaque

Also in 1972 the Pioneer Plaque was launched into space with the Pioneer 10 probe. Inscribed into the plaque was an information graphic intended as a kind of interstellar message in a bottle, designed by Carl Sagan and Frank Drake. The message is unique in that it is intended to be understood by extraterrestrial beings who would share no common language with humans. It depicts a picture of a man and a woman standing in front of a simplified silhouette of the probe in order to give a sense of scale. It also contains a map locating the sun relative to a number of pulsars, and a simplified depiction of the solar system, with the probe's path from earth into outer space shown with an arrow. Image File history File links Pioneer_plaque. ... Image File history File links Pioneer_plaque. ... The illustration on the Pioneer plaque The Pioneer plaques are a pair of aluminum plaques which were placed on board the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft, featuring a pictorial message from humanity, in case either Pioneer 10 or 11 are intercepted by extraterrestrial beings. ... Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to travel through the asteroid belt, and was the first spacecraft to make direct observations of Jupiter. ... A message in a bottle is a form of communication whereby a message is sealed in a container (archetypically a glass bottle, but could be plastic) and released into the sea or ocean. ... Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... Professor Frank Drake Frank Drake (born May 28, 1930, Chicago, Illinois) is an American astronomer and astrophysicist. ... CETI (Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or METI, Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is a branch of SETI research that focuses on composing and deciphering messages that could theoretically be understood by another technological civilization. ... Extraterrestrial life refers to forms of life that may exist and originate outside of the planet Earth. ... Composite Optical/X-ray image of the Crab Nebula pulsar, showing surrounding nebular gases stirred by the pulsars magnetic field and radiation. ...

Modern uses

Today information graphics surround us in the media, in published works both pedestrian and scientific, in road signs and manuals. They illustrate information that would be unwieldy in text form, and act as a visual shorthand for everyday concepts such as stop and go. Stop sign used in English-speaking countries, as well as in the European Union Former British stop sign consisting of red Give Way triangle inside a circle. ... An arrow is a graphical symbol like →, ←, used to point or indicate direction, being in its simplest form a line segment with a triangle affixed to one end, and in more complex forms a representation of an actual arrow. ...

In newspapers, infographics are commonly used to show the weather, as well as maps and site plans for newsworthy events, and graphs for statistical data. Some books are almost entirely made up of information graphics, such as David Macaulay's The Way Things Work. Although they are used heavily in children's books, they are also common in scientific literature, where they illustrate physical systems, especially ones that cannot be photographed (such as cutaway diagrams, astronomical diagrams, and images of microscopic or sub-microscopic systems). David Macaulay (born December 2, 1946 in Lancashire, England) is an author and illustrator. ... The Way Things Work is a book by David Macaulay. ...

Modern maps, especially route maps for transit systems, use infographic techniques to integrate a variety of information, such as the conceptual layout of the transit network, transfer points, and local landmarks.

Traffic signs and other public signs rely heavily on information graphics, such as stylized human figures (the ubiquitous stick figure), icons and emblems to represent concepts such as yield, caution, and the direction of traffic. Public places such as transit terminals usually have some sort of integrated "signage system" with standardized icons and stylized maps. See also: street sign theft External links http://homepages. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Technical manuals make extensive use of diagrams and also common icons to highlight warnings, dangers, and standards certifications.

Elements of information graphics

The basic material of an information graphic is the data, information, or knowledge that the graphic presents. In the case of data, the creator may make use of automated tools such as graphing software to represent the data in the form of lines, boxes, arrows, and various symbols and pictograms. The information graphic might also feature a key which defines the visual elements in plain English. A scale and labels are also common. For other uses, see Data (disambiguation). ... The ASCII codes for the word Wikipedia represented in binary, the numeral system most commonly used for encoding computer information. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Pictogram for public toilets A pictogram or pictograph is a symbol which represents an object or a concept by illustration. ... Look up glossary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Variable scale to measure distances on maps An important property of a map is the scale. ... Labels is a song by Wu-Tang Clan member GZA. It explains how rappers at the time fall for a trap set by labels in the music industry thinking that they are going to get themselves wealthy and happy when actually the labels dont help them at all. ...

Modern practitioners

A statistician and sculptor, Edward Tufte has written a series of highly regarded books on the subject of information graphics. Tufte also delivers lectures and workshops on a regular basis. He describes the process of incorporating many dimensions of information into a two-dimensional image as 'escaping flatland' (alluding to the 2-dimensional world of the Victorian novella Flatland). Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... For various uses of the term Flatlander, see Flatlander (disambiguation) Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is a 1884 novella by Edwin Abbott Abbott, still popular among mathematics and computer science students, and considered useful reading for people studying topics such as the concept of other dimensions. ...

The work done by Peter Sullivan for The Sunday Times in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, was one of the key factors in encouraging newspapers to use more graphics. Sullivan is also one of the few authors who have written about information graphics in newspapers. Peter Sullivan (1932–1996) was a British graphic designer best known for his work on information graphics in The Sunday Times. ... The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International which is in turn owned by News Corporation. ...

Nigel Holmes is an established commercial creator of what he calls "explanation graphics". His works deal not only with the visual display of information but also of knowledge - how to do things. He created graphics for Time magazine for 16 years, and is the author of several books on the subject. Nigel Holmes is a graphic designer who focuses on information graphics and information design. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

Close and strongly related to the field of information graphics, is information design. Actually, making infographics is a certain discipline within the information design world. Information design has been defined as the art and science of preparing information so that it can be used by human beings with efficiency and effectiveness (Jacobson 2000). ...

For their song Remind Me (2002) the two Norwegian musicians of Röyksopp issued a music video completely made from animated infographics. Likewise, another band, The Longcut has an inforgraphic video for A Tried And Tested Method. Remind Me/So Easy is the first single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopps debut album Melody A.M.. The single version is substantially different from the album version (it is more upbeat). ... Röyksopp ( IPA: ; sometimes misspelled Royksopp or Røyksopp) is an electronic music duo based in Bergen, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... The Longcut are a rock band from Manchester, England. ...

In a 2004 television commercial, the French energy company Areva uses animated infographics similar to that used in the Röyksopp music video. AREVA (Euronext: CEI) is a France-based multinational industrial conglomerate that deals in energy, especially in nuclear power. ...

Both Röyksopp and Areva videos were produced by the French motion & graphic design company Machine Molle Röyksopp ( IPA: ; sometimes misspelled Royksopp or Røyksopp) is an electronic music duo based in Bergen, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge. ... AREVA (Euronext: CEI) is a France-based multinational industrial conglomerate that deals in energy, especially in nuclear power. ...

Interpreting information graphics

Many information graphics are specialised forms of depiction that represent their content in sophisticated and often abstract ways. In order to interpret the meaning of these graphics appropriately, the viewer requires a suitable level of graphicacy. In many cases, the required graphicacy involves comprehension skills that are learned rather than innate. At a fundamental level, the skills of decoding individual graphic signs and symbols must be acquired before sense can be made of an information graphic as a whole. However, knowledge of the conventions for distributing and arranging these individual components is also necessary for the building of understanding. Self-portrait by Vincent Van Gogh A portrait is a painting, photograph, or other artistic representation of a person. ... Graphicacy is concerned with the capacities people require in order to interpret and generate information in the form of graphics. ... Understanding is a psychological state in relation to an object or person whereby one is able to think about it and use concepts to be able to deal adequately with that object. ... For other senses of the word code, see code (disambiguation). ... Look up signs in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

References

• Meyer, Eric K. (1997). Designing Infographics. Hayden Books. ISBN 1568303394. 
• Tukey, John Wilder (1977). Exploratory Data Analysis. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 0201076160. 
• Tufte, Edward R. [1983] (2001). The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 2nd Edition, Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. ISBN 0961392142. 
• Cleveland, William S. [1985] (1994). The Elements of Graphing Data, 2nd Edition, Summit, NJ: Hobart Press. ISBN 0963488414. 
• Tufte, Edward R. (1990). Envisioning Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. ISBN 0961392118. 
• Cleveland, William S. (1993). Visualizing Data. Summit, NJ: Hobart Press. ISBN 0961392126. 
• Tufte, Edward R. (1997). Visual Explanations: Images and Quantities, Evidence and Narrative. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. ISBN 0961392126. 
• Blood, Dirt, and Nomograms: A Particular History of Graphs, Thomas L. Hankins, University of Chicago Press (1999, 90: 50-80).
• Tufte, Edward R. (2006). Beautiful Evidence. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press. ISBN 0961392177. 

For Eric Meyer, Web standards and CSS advocate and author, see: Eric Meyer Eric K. Meyer is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. ... John Wilder Tukey (June 16, 1915 - July 26, 2000) was a statistician. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ...

See also

• Graphic organizers
• Technical illustration
• A picture is worth a thousand words
• Graphic design
• Graphic image development
• Information design
• Visualization (graphic)
• Digital dashboard
• List of information graphics software

Graphic organizers are visual representations of knowledge, concepts or ideas. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A picture is worth a thousand words is a familiar proverb that refers to the idea that complex stories can be told with just a single still image, or that an image may be more influential than a substantial amount of text. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Information design has been defined as the art and science of preparing information so that it can be used by human beings with efficiency and effectiveness (Jacobson 2000). ... It has been suggested that Interactive visualization be merged into this article or section. ... A digital dashboard, also known as an enterprise dashboard or executive dashboard, is a business management tool used to visually ascertain the status (or health) of a business enterprise via key business indicators. ... This is a list of software to create any kind of information graphics: either includes the ability to create one or more infographics from a provided data set either it is provided specifically for information visualization // Dcas Derive Eigenmath Geogebra Maple MathCad Mathematica Maxima MuPAD Reduce yacas Baudline FlexPro GNU...

External links

• information aesthetics
• Milestones in the History of Thematic Cartography, Statistical Graphics and Data Visualization
• NSF Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge
• Society for Newsdesign