Visualization Inspiration

Alexandra Carmichael

For us self-trackers, data can pile up faster than we know what to do with it. Deriving meaning from the numbers we collect is a challenge I hear over and over at every Quantified Self gathering.

Here's a secret: visualizing your data is a powerful tool for discovering the treasured meaning you seek. The classic work in this field is arguably Edward Tufte's The Visual Display of Quantitative Information.

But there is a new crop of tech-savvy visualizers getting in on the game. Here are four I've come across recently, to inspire and inform your own exploration.

1. The fine folks at Good Magazine. A beautiful compilation of their recent visualizations was posted by David McCandless on the Information is Beautiful blog. For example, this image compares how the average car and the average human burn fuel.