Data Visualisation and Storytelling

I have always loved how people interpret data and visualise it to make it easier to understand. The very nature of one person trying to create an understanding of complex information through non-vocal expression can take so many carzy routes, and the fact that anyone is even able to achieve this is even crazier. Visual interpretation for an individual is based on their own personal experiences and their specific perspective on that visual at that time.

Two people look at Van Gogh's 'The Scream' and one sees a person screaming, while the other sees a person hearing a scream.

So whenever I see a new data visualisation tool, I get a bit excited. The last 6 to 12 months have seen a lot of really interesting directions and attemps by various people for various purpouses. I was going to write a round up of my favourite and just as I started I was sent this article by Garrick Schmitt, in AdvertisingAge. This is a great article and I would urge everyone involved in the digital world to read this.

Sunday Links

There were no Sunday Links last week as there were no sites that didn't make the Friday's Best of the Web. So instead there's a whole plethora of sites this week, all definitely worth checking out!

Watchmen Website: If you haven't seen the film or read the novel perhaps best to avoid for spoilage, but otherwise a fun site worth checking out
Speed Lessons: Novak Djokovic with some fantastic animation, presenting speedy solutions to some *often* asked questions
Vodafone Rugby Tribe: Purely from a technical and logistic point of view this site is really easy to navigate and use, definite learnings here
Slurpee - Brainfreeze Laboratory: fun stuff, chill out (pardon the pun) and check it out
David Armano's Critter - Twitter for Pets: While only a concept, I reckon there's a host of celeb types that would scream wildly for this
Sell Sell: really cool blog
Awesome Adverts
Awesome Adverts
Spacesick: Evil Corporations Rebranded: maybe it was just how they presented themselves?

Google Street View for Ireland

Slightly odd that I was only talking about this yesterday , but as it turns out the Google car has been cruising around Ireland since Monday last, getting ready to start Street View'ing next week. The black car with a giant panoramic camera (and Google logo on the side) will be adding Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford to the list of Street View'd cities around the world, and bring the total number of countries to 10. Google's online, 360 degree panoramic map system will allow users to see Ireland (and its people!) as they really are.

Ed Parsons, Google's geospatial technologist, says it will take from three to four months to up to a year to complete the Irish addition. The actual areas covered will be city centres and suburban and outlying areas, but it will vary for each location depending on population density and business activity.

While there are many pedestrian areas in all these locations, Parsons confirmed that they too would be covered, but he would not divulge how. It has also been confirmed by Iarla Flynn, European policy manager for Google, that full use will be made of Google's advanced blurring tools to ensure both faces and registration plates are concealed.

Microsoft Surface

What you need is a big ass table! Funny stuff.

Google Street View nearly here

Rumours have been flying around that Ireland would be the next place to fall to the roaming Google camera vans, and with the launch of a plethora of UK cities in the new UK version of Street View, this seems very likely. People, pictures, landmarks, streets and houses from 25 UK cities are now available. The whole endeavour (to date) has taken 22,369 miles of video.

Cities currently available:
Aberdeen
Belfast
Birmingham
Bradford
Bristol
Cambridge
Cardiff
Coventry
Derby
Dundee
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Leeds
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Manchester
Newcastle
Norwich
Nottingham
Scunthorpe
Sheffield
Southampton
Swansea
York

The Dutch version of Street View also went bringing the total number of countries covered by Street View to 9.

Although concerns have been voiced on a number of occasions regarding individuals privacy, Google have made several statements dismissing this, saying that they only take images and video from major roads and motorways therefore eliminating any expectations of privacy. And while Google have introduced software to blur out faces and licence plates, the question has been raised by the firm, Privacy International, as to whether they have the right to even take the images in the first place. A recent statement said, "existing case law suggests that images for commercial purposes cannot be taken without prior consent of those who appear in the images".

It does raise an interesting point. Are Google making any money from the images, do they have the right to take them, and how would you feel about finding yourself on Street View?

What will the next idea be?

When ASICS wanted to create a corporate promotional video, they approached Nordpol Hamburg+ (who are currently listed in the top ten advertising agencies in the world), who in turn got artist Sipho Mabona to create this incredible piece...

Digital Marketing? No thanks, we're Girl Scouts

Apparently this kid is pretty famous in the US at the moment but, to be honest, today was the first time I heard the story.

Wild Freeborn, a good upstanding Girl Scout, set her sights on selling a huge amount of GS Cookies (as they do across the waters) Her mission was to sell 12,000 boxes of them. Yup, 12,000! Being the good dad that he is, her father decided she may need a little help and decided it was time to get digital.

He went about it by creating a YouTube ad and a coordinating online order form. Simple idea really, but aren't the best ones always just that. Guess what - it was a success. Orders started flowing in. Happy days for all concerned. Only it wasn't. The Girl Scouts of the USA forced the the campaign to a close, saying that it was against Girl Scout rules. Don't get me wrong, I don't advocate breaking rules ;) but let's be serious here. Why would you stop someone selling cookies that directly benefits your organisation by doing what you asked them to do - sell cookies.

Spokeswoman for the group, Denise Pesich, said, “We want to make sure that whatever the girl is doing is integrated into the program that she’s studying, we want to make sure we are in the development stages of a technological platform that will integrate it and be fair and equitable for all girls. But more importantly, it’s girl safety at its core.”

So what's the big deal? Her dad helped her and was main point of contact on all electronic and non-electronic touchpoints, no one could directly contact her (scary child preditors etc.) and she was learning about both technology and mass marketing. I really thing the Girl Scouts need to re-evaluate their rules.