Discovering how Greeks computed in 100 B.C.

By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

On Social Design (blog)

http://www.socialdesignblog.org/2009/02/do-good-be-bad-to-yourself/

Do good: Be bad to yourself

A self criticism about what means "to do good". "So much for social design. I say kick yourself in the ass for not doing what you are capable of doing. That’s how you do good." I think this quote summarizes the idea of this article : I consider that every time I think about social change. Indeed, by working for a non-profit organization will not change the world but it may give you the sense that you are trying. Finally it seems that there has to be a really personal commitment that you aim to pursue. And of course you need to push yourself, from my experience this always works.

In-Formed Visualizations with everyday objects

http://www.oberholtzer-creative.com/visualculture/2009/05/in-formed-visualizations-with-everyday-objects/
It seems that I got really interested in infographics but here is an even more convincing way of visualizing data by making a direct connection to the subject matter. I borrowed this image from a blog and then there is more about the designer who had the idea to use everyday objects as visuals to represent information. http://nadeemhaidary.com/informed.html#
At least from my point of view the connotation is more powerful when using everyday objects to connect with ideas because we are more used to them. It is obvious that a spoon relates to food as the given example.

Nadeem Haidary is the developer of these case study about everyday products like the fork and about his process he mentions:

"Statistics like these may be striking when you first read them, but without context or placement in the physical world, they are rarely remembered and rarely change people’s behavior." What if this kind of information crawled off the page and seeped into the products that surround us? In-Formed provides three case studies in embedding contextually relevant information into everyday objects.

GOOD Transparencies Archive

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goodmagazine/sets/72157618896371005/ a link redirected from http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/good_resource_for_infographics_13647.asp

I am often struggling with information design : how it can be more attractive and successful in order for people to pay attention and absorb only the important information.
The Sprint interactive visualization is effective but we do not always have the chance to work with video. So, i think this is a good source/inspiration for infographics usage.

Quirky - design products online from sketch to store

Posted by Xanthe Matychak | 1 Jun 2009

http://www.quirky.com/--- link to the original website

This is a collaborative on line tool that gives designers the chance to create a concept (just by showing sketches) and then you can upload it and it becomes reality. Interesting tool and in my opinion declares a new and easier way for designers to show and promote their work and their ideas that remain useless.

CTRL + ALT + DELETE

NYC artists combat illegal street advertising.

http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/new_aesthetic/ctrl_alt_delete.html

An interesting reaction to New York's illegal ads. Dozens of New York artists started a guerrilla graffiti project in order to cover all the illegal billboards that stand in NYC. Some of these ads (posters and billboards) have not the appropriate license since 1940. "Mobilized by Jordan Seiler and the Public Ad Campaign, the 24-hour direct action replaced nearly 19,000 square feet of illegal advertising with original, anti-corporate street art."

“Outdoor advertising is the primary obstacle to open public communications,”Seiler explains and I think that this is the main point of the campaign. The following link has more information about illegal signs and a video . http://illegalbillboards.org/

FAIL OFTEN PROJECT (ITP student David Steele Overholt)

http://failoften.net/about-failoftennet

A really interesting community + creativity website. The name is "fail often" and it is created as a Thesis Project and now is online and real. According to the statement of the creator the website "is based on making creativity a habit. Take risks, show us your process, your progress, what you learn, when you fail, and when you succeed." The way it works is that you create your own account (like I have already done) and then you set a personal challenge for every day, week or month. Then you can upload you work and it becomes a matter of discussion. This idea of making creativity a habit is very important. It keeps you awake and motivates you to go further.

Spring Kinetic Infographics

It was probably the first time that an ad with so much information captured my attention. And then I realized why that happened : The use of realistic visuals to represent the percentages gives another dimension to such information. Information is more convincing and sticks to mind as it is also more comprehensive as you visually perceive the quantities.

http://www.atissuejournal.com/2009/05/sprint-kinetic-infographics/#more-1210