The Importance of Metaphor in Historical Visualizations

Mike and Alex discuss the advantages and drawbacks of designing visualizations with light and dark backgrounds, using examples from SWD community members to highlight where each approach can be preferable. Then, they dive into history and discuss the staying power of some famous graphs. What makes them memorable—and how we might be able to elevate them, using modern tools and perspectives?

Listening time 27:06 | related links:

• Challenge: Light and dark backgrounds

• Viz: Rob Reid’s gun ownership viz

• Viz: Rishi Selva’s newspaper homage

• Tool: Datawrapper

• Tool: Accessible Colors

• Viz: Mike Cisneros’s Last Words viz

• Challenge: Remake a famous graph

• Challenge: Making or missing the mark

• Join data storyteller office hours by going premium in SWD community

• Learn via video on the SWD YouTube channel