Making Data Beautifully Elegant

I greatly appreciate graphical visualizations that make data-rich information look simple and elegant. Several years ago I attended a seminar presented by Edward Tufte seminar, Professor Emeritus at Yale University, where he taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. Tufte has been hailed as "The Leonardo da Vinci of data" by the New York Times. After listening to him for half a day, I concurred. His approach deepened my understanding and appreciation for data visualization. As a result, each month I turn to the Infographic in Wired. At that seminar I was introduced to perhaps one of the most fantastic statistical graphic ever drawn in which Charles Joseph Minard portrays the losses suffered by Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign of 1812.

Beginning at the Polish-Russian border, the thick band shows the size of the army at each position. The path of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow in the bitterly cold winter is depicted by the dark lower band, which is tied to temperature and time scales

Most recently, however, I stumbled upon this visual gem...

Using relative sizing and color, the graphic is ingeniously arranged as world map and visualizes the shift from rural to urban cities of the world's countries.
According to the "State of the World Population Report" mMore than 1/2 of the world's 6+ billion population currently resides in urban centers. By 2030, expect this to reach 5 billion. Most of this growth is happening in developing nations. By 2030, the towns and cities of the developing world will make up 81 per cent of urban humanity! But never mind the billions and percentages and location. Consider the elegance of this visualization. Just glancing at it, you just "get it."

For those interested in data visualization & visual communication, consider the Information Aesthetics website.