March 25, 2011

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

The science of information graphics

By Jen Christiansen

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

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

I'm in Pamplona, Spain, sitting at a table strewn with looseleaf paper, scissors and tubes of paste. My table is host to a German, a Swede, two Norwegians and a American. Around us, clustered about tables in groups, are representatives from 13 countries. Our common language is information graphics. Our most often-used tool--our laptops--remain packed away, forcing us to focus on the basics: concept and content organization rather than a polished product.

We're participants in the 2011 "Show, Don't Tell" workshop hosted by the Spanish chapter of the Society for News Design and the School of Communication at the University of Navarra. Combined with the World Infographic Summit and the International Infographics Awards, it's collectively known as Malofiej (named after the Argentinian infographer Alejandro Malofiej), now in its 19th year.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

The task before us: develop an explanatory graphic based on what we learned on a tour of the Marques de Riscal winery the day before. As the art director of information graphics at Scientific American magazine, I am obsessed with the idea of illustrating the fermentation process. What is the biochemistry behind the transformation from grape to wine? But soon I am nudged out of my content comfort zone, and placed in a group with my table-mates representing a variety of personal interests, professional beats and publication forms.

We have to start from the beginning. Who is the audience for our graphic? What part of the broader wine-making story should we strive to communicate? How can we organize the information in the most engaging, elegant, and efficient way to best tell that story? These are familiar questions that help shape all of the information graphics you see in Scientific American. But sitting at a table with visual journalists with such a wide range of cultural, philosophical, and aesthetic backgrounds reminds me that those questions are absolutely critical. No amount of polish, style or color can mask a failure to consider the fundamentals. In any language.

Photo: courtesy of The Society for News Design, Spanish chapter (SNDE)

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

More by Jen Christiansen

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe