October 11, 2013

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The Best American Infographics

“The same forces that have made it possible for infographics to proliferate have also made us hungry for them. We are deluged with information, and infographics promise to make sense of it...

By Jen Christiansen

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

“The same forces that have made it possible for infographics to proliferate have also made us hungry for them. We are deluged with information, and infographics promise to make sense of it… the best of them bring clarity, answering urgent questions and making us think.” –Gareth Cook (from The Best American Infographics 2013)

I’m happy to report that a data visualization by artist Jan Willem Tulp–originally developed for Scientific American’s Graphic Science page–brought enough clarity and thoughtfulness to the topic of exoplanets to merit inclusion in The Best American Infographics 2013. Tulp’s infographic is one of 70 featured in the inaugural edition of the book series, representing the full spectrum of the genre–from authoritative to playful.

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"Planets Everywhere," from the December 2012 print issue of Scientific American. Graphic by Jan Willem Tulp.

 

The Best American Infographics series editor, Gareth Cook, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a regular contributor to NewYorker.com, and editor of “Mind Matters,” Scientific American‘s neuroscience blog.

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Jen Christiansen is acting chief of design and senior graphics editor at Scientific American, where she art directs and produces illustrated explanatory diagrams and data visualizations. She is also author of the book Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations (CRC Press). In 1996 she began her publishing career in New York City at Scientific American. Subsequently she moved to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of National Geographic (first as an assistant art director–researcher hybrid and then as a designer), spent four years as a freelance science communicator and returned to Scientific American in 2007. Christiansen presents and writes on topics ranging from reconciling her love for art and science to her quest to learn more about the pulsar chart on the cover of Joy Division’s album Unknown Pleasures. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in geology and studio art from Smith College. Follow Christiansen on Bluesky @jenchristiansen.com

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