Visual Information is Quickly Processed
Courtesy Priscilla Rodriguez, Photographer © March 17, 2008 Stock.xchng

I have long been interested in the visual display of data. Everyone seems to be creating infographics these days. And we all tend to gravitate to these visual displays of data. People are hard-wired to like patterns. Infographics make exemplary use of the pattern language that we perceive mostly on a subconscious level.

The new field of data journalism capitalizes on the human desire to simplify information. Where once information simplification may have been important to our survival, information simplification is now more of a coping strategy. The incredible deluge of information that we are subjected to on a daily basis cannot be stemmed, so it must be managed. Data journalism is a highly sophisticated way of organizing and making sense out of data.

The data journalism group at Stanford University ask "How can traditional narratives be fused with sophisticated, interactive information displays?"

What is your approach to data visualization?

Add Color - Ask the Experts
Courtesy Thomas Boulvin, Photographer. © October 1, 2008 Stock.xchng

Each time I return after an interval to the Conrady Applied Science website that features Bayesian Networks, I am always pleasantly surprised by all the new information and techniques that have been introduced on the site. I always learn something new and the content on the website is cogent and interpretable. Read More...

125 Years of Sparkling Beverage Enjoyment!
Courtesy The Coca-Cola Company © 2011.

The big question at 2012 The Market Research Technology Event in Las Vegas is how to make sure that market research drives the technology and not the other way around. Emerging technologies are increasingly becoming embedded in the work of market researchers. The development of consumer insights and business intelligence today entails use of an ever growing array of technologically-based methods of data collection, data integration, and data analysis. The challenge, as stated by the event organizers is to "preserve the discipline while simultaneously becoming its change agent."

Didn't I Meet You in Market Research 101?
Courtesy Yarik Mishin, Photographer. © 2006 Stock.xchng.

Learning a new language or how to operate a new Android phone can be a challenge, but it can also be fun. Even taking a course in a new area of study or learning about a new discipline can be a pleasant change of pace. Take for instance, the teenage polygot. Timothy Doner's devotion to learning an enormous number of languages began with Hebrew, moved to Arabic -- and then was unstoppable. Doner's view of how and why he is focused on learning languages is fascinating. Spring break never really seems to arrive for students like Doner.