MORE CARDBOARD INTERACTIVES.
Classic info-design from the last century that still records a high score on the official Grimwade user-engagement scale. The Dist-O-Map (above) first appeared in the 1960s, and was still in production in 2008.
This post follows on from:
Cardboard interactives: https://wp.me/p7LiLW-Bg
Wheel of excuses/Cardboard interactives (2): https://wp.me/p7LiLW-GY
THIS BLOG, SO FAR.
This is my 200th post, so I’m in a reflective mood. For nearly two years, I have held forth, but it’s only one viewpoint.
That’s all. And no more important than anyone else’s.
Typeface by Sawdust: http://www.madebysawdust.co.uk
As this is a milestone of such super-high importance to mankind, it’s time to examine the WordPress data. (As of July 22.)
TOTAL VIEWS: 62,340
TOP TEN BY VIEWS
I’ve left out these two from the list.
Home page: 18,598 (Obviously, this could be divided up amongst all the posts.)
About me: 1,596 (For anyone remotely interested.)
1. Tools of the trade: 3,443 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-EI
2. Size comparison: 2,213 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-181
3. Notebooks: 1,519 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-2i0
4. Sketching infographics: 823 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-14Q
5. The incredible Bollmann map workshop (Part 1): 682 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-Ak
6. Nigel Holmes on humor: 678 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-iZ
7. Archeological pictograms: 626 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-V0
8. Cutaway magic: 611 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-qF
9. Infographics made easy: 601 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-Ic
10. When infographic dinosaurs roamed the Earth: 580 https://wp.me/p7LiLW-h0
VIEWS: TOP FIVE COUNTRIES
USA: 21,292
UK: 4,718
Germany: 4,716
Russia: 2,973
Spain: 2,631
GOING FORWARD
I’ve posted twice a week up to now, but I’ll only be posting occasionally in the future. Why? Here’s one reason: I took a look at my ideas page last week. I think it says it all.
Seriously, thank you all for following over the last two years. And for sending ideas and encouraging emails. I really appreciate it.
NEW IDEAS FOR DISPLAYING TIME.
Levitated
“Story” has a small chrome sphere that levitates around a wooden base. The rotation can be set to take one hour, day, month, or even one year (or more) to complete a revolution. Or it will display any time period, like the time to your next vacation. It also has a timer mode.
To show the time in numerals, there’s a LED display that can shine through the surface of the wood.
Other things like moon phases, sunset/sunrise, and temperature are displayed by using backlighting. An app controls all the settings.
The company that makes this unconventional clock, “Flyte,” also produces a levitating light and a levitating planter.
https://flyte.se
Dots
“Order” is a project from Anicorn Watches that’s inspired by the New York City transport system.
It was designed by Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth, who founded “Standards Manual,” which has republished some iconic graphic design manuals, like those from the New York City Transit Authority (1970), and NASA (1975).
Also from Anicorn Watches, comes “Hidden Time,” which uses a rotating color gradient to focus attention on the hour. The overall idea is to suggest the passing of time.
https://www.anicorn-watches.com
Modernizing the cuckoo clock
Guido Zimmermann replaced the traditional German architecture with stark modern buildings.
https://www.guidozimmermann-art.com
Nendo have their own rethink of the genre in three new designs.
And there’s even a watch that fits inside a cuckoo clock case.
I’m a big fan of many of Nendo’s designs. I’ve shown a few before, in these posts:
Globe: https://wp.me/s7LiLW-global
Chocolates: https://wp.me/p7LiLW-17S
Their website: http://www.nendo.jp
Old style
Just for comparison, this is the type of cuckoo clock we’re more used to.
INFORMATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONS.
Stephen Biesty reveals the hidden workings of everyday items. His book “Incredible Cross-Sections” has millions of copies worldwide, and a new edition is coming soon. Stephen creates these highly-detailed explanations in the traditional way (with pencils, pens and watercolor paint), after a lot of research and checking. To get an idea of the level of detail, click on the image above for a larger version.
Or click here: https://bit.ly/2NvnJ9f
“Inside-out” views. Below, the Empire State Building.
Notre Dame.
The Sydney Opera House.
The Parthenon.
See more: http://www.stephenbiesty.co.uk
One of Stephen’s influences is L.Ashwell Wood. See some of his work here: https://wp.me/p7LiLW-Bb
GRAPHICS BY POP CHART LAB.
Well-researched (and well-rendered) posters by this Brooklyn-based studio. See the full collection at https://www.popchartlab.com
THE NOUN PROJECT.
This is a pictogram-lover’s dream. A website with over one million icons, ready for use. thenounproject.com
Founded with a Kickstarter campaign in 2010, initially they posted public domain icons.
Below, The Noun Project logo.
Everyone has access to every icon. Free members need to give a credit to the designer, and paid members ($39.99 per year, or $9.99 per month) get unlimited royalty-free licenses. Below, are some example sets, but explore the collections yourself.
Raccoon Emoticons by AomAm.
Birds by Georgiana Ionescu.
Buildings by Made by Made.
People by Vectors Market.
The Noun Project blog: https://thenounproject.com/
MEDIEVAL VISUAL COMMUNICATION.
The royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom belongs to the British monarch. Right now, that is Queen Elizabeth II: https://wp.me/p7LiLW-26b
Heraldic design dates back to the Middle Ages, when there was a need to identify armor-covered knights on the battlefield. It’s one of the earliest visual communication systems, with each element having a specific meaning. (More about that further in this post.)
Traditional branding
Heraldry is a very common form of identity design for countries, provinces, the military, and all kinds of other organizations. Below, a few examples.
First, Sir Edward Stanley (1509–1572).
Paris, which dates back to 1358.
The United States of America, approved by Congress in 1782.
Heraldic code
A guide to the parts of a coat of arms from the Observer’s Book of Heraldry, 1966.
A complex system of components form the basic language of heraldry. From the Larousse Universal Encyclopedia, 1922.
My heraldic heritage
I’ve been researching my own heraldry. Probably because I have delusions of grandeur, as I pointed out here: https://wp.me/p7LiLW-qA
However, extensive therapy has almost convinced me that I’m a commoner.
Family members have traced our ancestry back to 1779, but it probably goes back a lot further. Below, the first coat of arms I found. Not sure about the color.
Then I discovered this one (!), and now I’m confused about which design to have above my front door.
More royalty
The official coat of arms designed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the latest royal superstars.
Here’s an explanation of the elements:
The Pacific Ocean off the California Coast is represented by the blue background of the shield.
Two golden rays symbolize the sunshine of California (Meghan’s home state).
Three quills represent communication and the power of words.
The left side of the shield carries Prince Harry’s coat of arms.
Under the shield are golden poppies, California’s state flower, and wintersweet, which grows at Kensington Palace, where the couple are living.
The songbird is wearing a coronet around it’s neck, in a design that has been assigned to the new Duchess of Sussex.
METEOROLOGICAL VISUALIZATION.
Many male weather presenters wore an infographic tie on the summer solstice (June 21). It’s a data visualization of the change in global temperature from 1850 to 2017, by Ed Hawkings. http://www.climate-lab-book.ac.uk/2018/warming-stripes/
Jeff Berardelli at WPEC CBS 12 in West Palm Beach led this initiative of the #MetsUnite movement. The color scale represents the change in global temperatures covering 2.43° F. (1.35° C.) Blue indicates annual average temperatures below normal, and red shows average annual temperatures above normal.
Merchandise for meteorologists
Below, Lauren Olesky (also a presenter at CBS 12) with her morning coffee. The chart is available in a range of items from earrings to mousepads. https://www.zazzle.com/climate_change
Outfit confusion
I wish the producers of weather broadcasts would persuade presenters to dress in more neutral outfits. For obvious informational reasons.
Augmented reality
The Weather Channel recently started using “Max Reality” to add impact to weather explainers. The Future Group’s technology is the driving force behind this. Click on the image below to see Jim Cantore describe the dangers that accompany a tornado. Check out the crashing utility pole at 1:50, and the flying car at 4:00.
Technical issues
We all have our problems. Cave Creek’s evening temperature is hotter than molten steel at 2,960° F. (1,627 C.)
Cranking it up
TV weather forecast graphics tend to be in the showbiz end of information design. They’re often very colorful, but don’t promote a feeling of reliability. (Well, not to me.) I guess it’s the result of a battle for viewers. Information graphic critique: There’s no key to the colors, and this is a problem. We assume (correctly) that the graphic goes from cool to hot in terms of temperature, but green has also been used to show rainfall. Two additional blues show a front and the jet stream. The visualization is not wrong, but it could be clearer.
Inconsistency
There’s a standard color scale to use for storm prediction in the U.S. (below). However, various outlets interpret it in different ways. These three forecasts are for the same severe weather pattern, in our area, earlier this year.
More accurate hurricane forecast maps
I’ll finish on a more positive note (for a change). This year, the National Hurricane Center is shrinking the “cone of uncertainty” that predicts the possible track of the center of a hurricane, by analyzing the previous five hurricane seasons.
Thank you to two former Ohio University students for help with elements of this post: Alex Hurley, M.S. Environmental Studies, and Ethan Emery, B.S. Meteorology.
DEFINED BY LINES.
“Etherea” was an installation by Edoardo Tresoldi at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. A transparent building (inspired by Neoclassical and Baroque architecture) was constructed from wire mesh in three different sizes.
The structures were 36, 54 and 72 feet high (11, 16 and 22 meters).
https://www.edoardotresoldi.com
https://www.instagram.com/edoardotresoldi/
Photographs © Roberto Conte: https://www.robertoconte.net
COMPLEX COLLAGES BY LORENZO PETRANTONI.
Using images from nineteenth-century antique books, Lorenzo creates these decidedly up-to-date illustrations, using old-school methods: a photocopier, knife, scissors, and glue.
From City Maps and Stories: https://amzn.to/2lm2ha2
“Timestory” is a collection of Lorenzo’s projects, published by Gestalten. https://amzn.to/2K0NPyX
Lorenzo’s biography.
Website: http://www.lorenzopetrantoni.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenzopetrantoni/
