The Visualization Panel at SXSW 2012

Intent & Impact

How Visualization Makes A Change

The rising amount of data exhaust of the past years has created the need for more and better tools to analyze what lies within this massive amount of raw material. Visualization leveraging the human cognition proves to be an invaluable tool to explore, digest, analyze and communicate the information. We reveal patterns, trends, relations or dependencies that were buried before.

But, what happens after we have created such an elaborate and powerful visualization and released it to the world? How does the it affect the beholder? How does it help shaping his opinions or even changing his behavior? Because, at the end of the day, visualization is simply a means to an end — a tool to achieve a bigger goal.

We have agreed that visualization as an instrument for analysis and communication works. Now, let's answer the question how visualization can make an actual impact on education, economics, politics, society and the digital revolution.

–Benjamin Wiederkehr

The Panelists

Visual.ly

Adam
Breckler

Adam heads up product development at Visual.ly, a platform to create, share and explore infographics.

Visualizing.org

Adam
Bly

Adam is the founder of Seed Media Group and Visualizing.org, a community of creative people working to make sense of complex issues through data and design.

Interactive Things

Ben­ja­min
Wie­der­kehr

Benjamin is designer and managing director at Interactive Things, a user experience and data visualization studio from Zürich, Switzerland.

Truth & Beauty Operator

Moritz
Stefaner

Moritz is a freelance information visualizer interested in information aesthetics, interactive visualization, and how the web transforms our understanding of information.

JESS3

Jesse
Thomas

Jesse is founder and CEO of JESS3, a creative agency that specializes in data visualization from Washington, DC.

The Questions Answered

  1. How can you clearly define your goals with a visualization?
  2. Where can visualization be used to achieve a goal?
  3. How can you ensure to reach your goal?
  4. How can you measure your success?

The Details

Event
SXSW Interactive, the defacto place for creative technology.
Date
March 12, 3:30pm, exact date and time of the panel to be announced.
Location
Ballroom A, Austin Convention Center, Austin TX.
Organizer
Interactive Things, a user experience & data visualization studio.