Information Is Beatiful
Detailed Description
Information is Beautiful is a pioneering data visualization website founded by data journalist and designer David McCandless. The site showcases a wide range of infographics and visualizations that aim to make complex data sets more understandable, beautiful, and engaging.
Covering diverse subjects from politics to pop culture, it combines rigorous research with elegant design to reveal patterns, connections, and insights hidden within data. It’s a prime destination for anyone seeking inspiration in information design, storytelling, or creative data presentation.
Key Features
- Curated Data Visualizations: A rich portfolio of static and interactive infographics across numerous topics.
- Data Transparency: Many projects share the underlying datasets, allowing users to explore the source information.
- Workshops: Training sessions (live and recorded) on data visualization principles and creative design thinking.
- Books: Published collections like Information is Beautiful and Knowledge is Beautiful.
- Live Talks & Shows: David McCandless presents visual journalism through performances and lectures.
- Online Store: Purchase fine art prints and posters of iconic visualizations.
- VizSweet: Proprietary in-house tool for creating visualizations (not publicly available).
Pros and Cons
✅ Pros:
- Highly inspirational examples of combining storytelling and data.
- Focuses on clarity, aesthetics, and meaning in visualizations.
- Transparent sharing of source data for many projects.
- Recognized and respected in the global design and journalism community.
- Useful educational workshops and books.
❌ Cons:
- Prioritizes narrative and design, sometimes at the expense of analytical rigor.
- Not a technical resource for coding or building data visualizations.
- Some critiques of subjective data interpretation in certain visuals.
- VizSweet tool not publicly available for user-generated projects.
Pricing Information
Free: Access to visualizations and blog content.
Paid: Fees for workshops (~$169), books, prints, and commissioned services.
User Feedback
Celebrated for its role in elevating the field of information design. Designers, marketers, educators, and researchers praise the site for its creativity, insight, and beauty. Minor criticisms relate to the subjective framing of complex data topics.
