Category Archives: information design

Mar 13 Comments comments
information design, mash-ups, social media

PepsicoZeitgeist visualizes Twitter

PepsiZeitgeist shows where the action is

PepsiZeitgeist shows where the action is

I have a quiet obsession with visualizers, so I’m jumping on the SXSW bandwagon only because of this amazing Twitter mashup PepsicoZeitgeist. It combines mapping (swarm) showing where there are multiple tweeters in one spot,  with the SXSW streams of tweets (stream), tracks hotspots, (party), and trending topics (popular). Pepsico are also putting out a comprehensive multimedia coverage of the event via blogs, podcasts and  streams, its nice to see sponsorship dollars put to such good use.

PepsicoZeitgiest trending topics Twitter

PepsicoZeitgiest trending topics Twitter

The other Twitter visualizer I really love, is called Twistori it tracks the words love, hate, think, feel, believe, wish in the general Twitter public timeline. It scrolls through each of the words and feeds them through in this elegant colour coded stream. You have no way of tracking the owner of the tweets, it makes everyone’s tweets equal because it is filtering according to content. Its also available as a screensaver.

No surprises that both projects are developed by same company, Slash7. I love them because they turn data and text into beautiful patterns and stories. Oh and the user interfaces rock too.

Twistori melds everyone's twitters into a visual story

Twistori melds everyone's twitters into a visual story

Mar 02 Comments comments
information design, mash-ups

A wordle about my blog

a Wordle about my blog

a Wordle about my blog

Get one for yourself at Wordle

Mar 01 Comments comments
information design, social media, social networking

Unscientific yet accurate Twitter user pie chart

Regular Twitter users will recognise how much of this is true

Regular Twitter users will recognise how much of this is true

Thanks to Brainz for this one, check out the other social network pie charts at Brainz post on social network user pie charts

Feb 03 Comments comments
advertising, brand engagement, information design, mash-ups, social media

Trends in data visualization: NY Times interactive Twitter mashup, Web Trends Map 4

Brand names get tweeted - A LOT :)

Brand names get tweeted - A LOT :)

Data visualization can do so much to simplify the complex, so was very excited to see this amazing interactive timeline mashup of Superbowl Tweets on NYtimes site. The creators kindly even put a separate stream just for the ad mentions and the Audi spot I wrote about yesterday got noticed.

I think the IP settings for individual states in the US ensures this type of map is accurate, much harder to do in Australia apparently.

It is such a spectacular way of tracking brand engagement - via Twitter, and can give any brand investing in media placement during the Superbowl some piece of mind (or not!).

Web trends data visualisation

Web trends data visualization

I am also standing by for my other favourite piece of data visualisation - the Information Architects Web Trends Map 4 is due in February - currently a preview available The previous Web Trends Map 3 show you what a spectacular job the IA people do. They take the web’s trending companies/channels/platforms and map them onto a Tokyo subway system.

Ordinary (non-digital) humans think this is like some kind of voodoo - I had last year’s map 3 above my desk and it was an endless topic of  conversation of what it meant and what it was a picture of. I was branded a hopeless nerd, but even the luddites were seduced by the power of sexy data visualization. Stay tuned for version 4.0 which will be available soon from IA - in the meantime you can comment on the preview list and help shape the map.