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15.12.2015 19:00 | F0.03 | BY DESIGN OR BY DISASTER TALK #12

Visual Stories and Data Visualizations as tools to (mis)understand the news.

How do we consume news today? What can a Graphic Designer do in a newsroom? Is the Graphic Designer the person in charge of making “pretty” charts or is it more complex than that?
Since the term “Graphic Journalism” was first introduced by Peter Sullivan and Nigel Holmes in the 70’s, the connection between Graphic Design and Journalism has changed radically. Internet, mobile devices and easy access to information are some of the elements that influenced this evolution. Nowadays, Graphic Journalists and and Information Designers can help us to find our way through the “information tsunami” of our hyperconnected society. But if on the one hand visual language is a powerful tool to make information more understandable, on the other hand it can easily mislead opinions through the use of inaccurate information graphics.
It is therefore essential for Information Designers to be aware of their influence and question themselves about their practice, in order to deliver accurate and trustworthy information.


▪ Glut: Mastering Information Through the Ages
-Alex Wright

▪How to lie with statistics
-Darrell Huff

▪From hieroglyphics to isotype: A Visual Autobiography
-Otto Neurath

Interesting questions / statements

▪ “the map is not the territory”
-Alfred Korzybski

▪“Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write”
-H. G. Wells

▪“Graphic design will save the world, right after rock and roll does”
-David Carson