background preloader

Guardian Datablog's top tools

Guardian Datablog's top tools
What data visualisation tools are out there on the web that are easy to use - and free? Here on the Datablog and Datastore we try to do as much as possible using the internet's powerful free options. That may sound a little disingenuous, in that we obviously have access to the Guardian's amazing Graphics and interactive teams for those pieces where we have a little more time - such as this map of public spending (created using Adobe Illustrator) or this Twitter riots interactive. But for our day-to-day work, we often use tools that anyone can - and create graphics that anyone else can too. So, what do we use? Google fusion tables This online database and mapping tool has become our default for producing quick and detailed maps, especially those where you need to zoom in. The main advantage is the flexibility - you can can upload a kml file of regional borders, say - and then merge that with a data table. This excellent tutorial by Google's Kathryn Hurley is a great place to start. Datamarket

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/mar/28/data-visualisation-tools-free

The 15 best tools It's often said that data is the new world currency, and the web is the exchange bureau through which it's traded. As consumers, we're positively swimming in data; it's everywhere from labels on food packaging design to World Health Organisation reports. As a result, for the designer it's becoming increasingly difficult to present data in a way that stands out from the mass of competing data streams. Get Adobe Creative Cloud One of the best ways to get your message across is to use a visualization to quickly draw attention to the key messages, and by presenting data visually it's also possible to uncover surprising patterns and observations that wouldn't be apparent from looking at stats alone. Subversive Cartographies What are subversive cartographies? This issue is addressed a series of presentations organized by Chris Perkins (University of Manchester) and Jörn Seemann (Louisiana State University) for the upcoming 2008 Association of American Geographers meeting (Boston, April 15-19 2008). “To be subversive, is to wish to overthrow, destroy or undermine the principles of established orders.

The Best Tools for Visualization Visualization is a technique to graphically represent sets of data. When data is large or abstract, visualization can help make the data easier to read or understand. There are visualization tools for search, music, networks, online communities, and almost anything else you can think of. Whether you want a desktop application or a web-based tool, there are many specific tools are available on the web that let you visualize all kinds of data. The top 20 data visualisation tools net magazine is the number one choice for the professional web designer and developer. It’s here that you find out about the latest new web trends, technologies and techniques – all in one handy package. Each issue boasts a wealth of expert tips and advice, including in-depth features and over 30 pages of advanced front- and backend tutorials on subjects as diverse as CSS, HTML, JavaScript, WordPress, PHP, and plenty more.

Nightingale’s Rose January 9, 2008, 4:06 pm By Henry Woodbury Two ways of reading the word area — its general vs. its mathematical meaning — leads to confusion in this otherwise superb article on Charts in the Economist. The chart in question is Florence Nightingale’s “Diagram of the Causes of Mortality in the Army of the East.” 10 significant visualisation developments: July to December 2012 To mark the milestone of each mid-year and end of year I try to take a reflective glance over the previous 6 months period in the data visualisation field and compile some of the most significant developments. These are the main projects, events, new sites, trends, personalities and general observations that have struck me as being important to help further the development of this field. Earlier this year I published this collection for the first 6 months of 2012 and now I’d like to mark the end of 2012 with my latest perspective. I look forward to hearing from you with suggestions for the developments you believe have been most significant.

5 top resources The web is a wonderful thing, brimming with resources and inspiration for people wanting to present information in an exciting and dynamic way. But, sometimes, too much choice can be confusing, so we've picked 10 top sites that will really help you get to grips with it. Also read: The best tools for data visualization 01. Visual.ly Livehoods – Use-based urban analytics In conceptualizing and exploring the city we rely a range of smaller areas—neighbourhoods, boroughs, wards and districts—in order to make urban space intelligible. While we can readily discuss how neighbourhoods are shaped by physical geography (topography, adjacency to lakes or rivers, etc.), ordinance (zoning, access to public transit) and economics (real estate prices, average resident income), machine learning does not really spring to mind when we are considering how we might define ‘a neighbourhood’. Livehoods is a new project hatched within the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University that leverages 18 million Foursquare check-ins to draft up new urban ‘activity zones’ based on the patterns of frequent visitors. The venture essentially asks how does a location-based service reflect our sense of place within the city? Livehoods.org | School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University

22 free tools for data visualization and analysis You may not think you've got much in common with an investigative journalist or an academic medical researcher. But if you're trying to extract useful information from an ever-increasing inflow of data, you'll likely find visualization useful -- whether it's to show patterns or trends with graphics instead of mountains of text, or to try to explain complex issues to a nontechnical audience. There are many tools around to help turn data into graphics, but they can carry hefty price tags. The cost can make sense for professionals whose primary job is to find meaning in mountains of information, but you might not be able to justify such an expense if you or your users only need a graphics application from time to time, or if your budget for new tools is somewhat limited.

Related: