Visual Voice | Supporting education, advocacy, & marketing efforts through information design.
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- bonus blog topic this week -
In honor of Earth Day, I am passing along a link to a website that “is dedicated to helping the graphic design community grow into a more sustainable industry.”
It is an independent online toolkit with information and resources for graphic designers at all experience levels.
Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out: www.re-nourish.com
-Elissa Schloesser
Interesting website to check out: www.informationactivism.org
Here’s the trailer to what you’ll find.
10 tactics for turning information into action (Trailer) from Tactical Technology Collective on Vimeo.
-Elissa Schloesser
Tags: information to action, resources, Tactical Technology Collective
If you are interested in browsing through some very creative information graphics, I would recommend checking out The Visual Miscellaneum by David McCandless.
I checked it out from the library this past week and wasn’t disappointed. Tons of great inspiration to get you thinking about presenting information differently!
-Elissa Schloesser
Tags: David McCandless, information design, resources, Visual Miscellaneum
Color is important tool you can use to help you more effectively communicate information and messages, but you may find is difficult to choose the appropriate colors.
Luckily there are a number of website that can help you experiment with different color schemes. One free website I have found particularly helpful is Kuler.adobe.com. This website provides you with a number of predetermined color schemes as well allowing you to create your own based on established color rules.
If you don’t know very much about different color schemes, here is a quick overview of few classic color schemes to help you get started (thanks to color-wheel-pro.com).
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Monochromatic Color SchemeThe monochromatic color scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. This scheme looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues. |
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Analogous Color SchemeThe analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogous scheme is similar to the monochromatic, but offers more nuances. |
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Complementary Color SchemeThe complementary color scheme consists of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme looks best when you place a warm color against a cool color, for example, red versus green-blue. This scheme is intrinsically high-contrast. |
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Triadic Color SchemeThe triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and color richness. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious. |
Tags: color, color wheel pro, Kuler, resources
Do you want to create engaging presentations, graphics, graphs or websites, but don’t know how to use the different software programs? I would recommend checking out the Lynda.com website.
It offers a number of online training courses ranging from learning web design to Excel. You do have to pay to get access to the online trainings, but in general they are still an affordable alternative to other training options (and you can take them anytime you like).
The courses won’t teach you how to design, but they will help give you the tools to start creating them.
As a follow-up to the graph discussion earlier this week, I am passing along a link to page compiled by the organization Many Eyes. This page outlines different graph types, when it might be best to use each, and how the different graphs work.
Tags: data design, information design, resources
Although this topic does not relate directly with information design, I thought I’d pass along a great website that makes volunteering even easier (in the spirit of New Year). The website is: HandsOn Twin Cities.
I have really enjoyed using their website because it makes finding, participating and tracking volunteer opportunities very simple. You can spend your time volunteering, not searching for opportunities and correct contacts.
Unfortunately, the website only covers the Twin Cities Metro Area. If you are located in another area, you may want to check out the website serve.gov. It provides a listing of volunteer opportunities across the country.
Happy New Year! Elissa Schloesser, Visual Voice President
Tags: HandsOn Twin Cities, resources
In case you are in need of finding a gift for the designer or data geek in your life, you may want to browse through the information aesthetics online shop for ideas.
If you are looking to expand your own information design knowledge, but are on a budget, I also like to use these lists to get ideas for books to check out from my local library or to google the authors to see if they publish an interesting blog.
Tags: data design, resources
I recently stumbled across this great free resource called Visualizing Information for Advocacy. It was written by an organization called Tactical Technology Collective out of the UK.
Tell Your Story
Analyze Your Data
Make a Plan
Make Information Visible
Simplify and Clarify
Tags: data design, resources, visual communication
I am putting together a “resources” page for the Visual Voice website.
I want to know what information you would find useful for your work, or if you have a great website, blog or book you think should be included. Please post a comment or email me with your thoughts or suggestions.
I am hoping to have the page up and running by the end of the month.
Thanks all.
Tags: resources, suggestions
