Evolution of an Infographic

Martin Krzywinski, arguably one of genomics' Edward Tuftes, walks though the all the work done to produce a single content-rich infographic for Scientific American. This is the summary of what guided the process:

Details unnecessary for understanding the key message of the page were selectively removed. (This should not be confused with the act of eliminating inconvenient information). If you have the space and the reader has the time, by all means, show data patterns in the context of supporting detail. But in this case, our goal was to clarify and illustrate the main point, and avoid diffusing the key message with tangential information. All the while, keeping in mind that it was also critical to engage and delight the reader.

It's an excellent walkthrough, complete with snapshots of the dozen-plus iterations Krzywinski and Barbara Jeannie Hunnicutt went through to produce the final graphic.

You'll be glad that you spent about 15 minutes seeing how to take this:

And turn it into this:

For more amazing work check out Martin's website.

Photo credits: Scientific American, Martin Krzywinski, and Barbara Jeannie Hunnicutt