I have always loved the challenge of figuring out a way to show a large set of information all in one graphic. The undisputed master of high information graphics is Edward Tufte, whom I had the privilege of seeing recently at his latest swing through the Bay Area. Mr. Tufte has made the point for years that you can trust the viewer of any graphic to decipher huge amounts of information, IF (and only if) you take care in the way it is presented so the viewer can find meaning in the data. I take his message to heart, especially when determining ways to show a great deal of data in a single graphic.
This post spotlights three informational graphics that Cogent Legal created and describes how we wrestled with a mountain of data to present a large amount of information in a way that is instantaneously understandable and visually appealing to anyone looking at the document. While these three samples are 2D blowups for display, they certainly can be made digitally with interactive functionality for display electronically as well. (more…)