June 25, 2010

news:rewired Interactive Graphics

Key points emerging from the Interactives session:

Interactive graphics need a clear defined purpose. Understand what the users can get out of it, and what makes it different from a static graphic.
They take time to produce, so think in terms of updating them to keep them useful over time.
Pick a concept that has "legs" in the first place - that won't get old fast.
Coders and designers are different - and you need both
You can use human curation of information into the interactive display to add value
Old content can be valuable in them - all the BBC's stories around the 2012 olympics will get new value when the Games start
Do you want users to "consume" or "interact"? Pick.
It should be a story in its own right, not an addendum to one.
People still mainly using Flash (despite iOS issues). Take up for Silverlight-based infographics has been awful.
If you don't trust the data, don't use it.
As you do more and more, you start developing a code library that can speed up later projects.
Useful tool: Freebase
Book recommendation: The Tiger That Isn't: Seeing Through a World of Numbers

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