David Sibbet: visual cartographer at TED 2008

Oh, I want to watch this!

David Sibbet: TED2008: The Big Questions

This from David:

We’ll be doing this using the latest Wacom Cintiq tablets and beta versions of Autodesk’s Alias Sketchbook Pro. Our drawings, some 5-15 for each speaker, will be saved and accessible on a huge portfolio wall with multi-touch capability. If you’ve seen the movie Minority Report,or used an i-phone, it allows that kind of manipulation of imagery. You can pinch-reduce pictures, rotate them, sort them, move them around — all by touch.

I don’t know what we will produce, but it will be integrated into a book about this year’s TED, focusing on the theme The Big Questions. We’re calling ourselves “visual cartographers,” and I’m focusing on making not only the big questions, but the patterns that connect these ideas visible.

Visualizing Information for Advocacy

Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design from the Tactical Technology Collective. Oh wow, this is fantastic. Down-loadable. Free. Here is the overview:

Modern life is saturated with ever increasing amounts of information, advertising and media with little time to digest what is being said. Against this background, NGOs and advocates too often find the information they want to communicate, either buried in long reports full of professional jargon and statistics, or overlooked in an endless stream of media releases. Whether communicating to the public, staff, donors or government officials, information design can help NGOs communicate with more impact, increase accessibility, and present issues powerfully.

Visualizing Information for Advocacy: An Introduction to Information Design is a manual aimed at helping NGOs and advocates strengthen their campaigns and projects through communicating vital information with greater impact. This project aims to raise awareness, introduce concepts, and promote good practice in information design – a powerful tool for advocacy, outreach, research, organization and education.

Through examples, the booklet demonstrates how to use innovative visual graphics to tell a complex and powerful story in a snapshot.

The manual was designed and produced as a collaboration between Tactical Tech and John Emerson of Backspace – a design consultancy dedicated to research, development and promotion of design in the public interest. John’s work portfolio includes print, internet, and broadcast television work for NGOs, not-for-profit corporations, and activist groups.

Hattip to Beth Kanter who tweeted about this!

How I slowed down blogging and started drawing on walls

I had a ball leading a session today at Northern Voice. I have lots of pictures, more reflections, etc. But that can wait to later. In the mean time (and in case there is no “later”) here is the link to the wiki page and the slides. northernvoice wiki / How I slowed down blogging and started drawing on walls

IFVP 2008 Conference Announced

Join us for the 2008 IFVP Conference for graphic recorders, graphic facilitators and other visual practitionersIFVP Conference Logo 2008
I’ve got this one on my 2008 schedule!

This year’s conference will be held August 6-8 at the Summit Executive Centre in Chicago.

The IFVP Board and Conference Team are excited about the changes for this years conference.

Holding the conference earlier will give you a great view of Chicago in the summertime. We also hope that we’re coinciding with the summer slowdown of projects that many of us independent contractors experience.

Our Wednesday through Friday conference dates encourages taking the weekend to explore the Windy City. We’ll update this page with suggestions on how to make the most out of your trip to Chicago.

Also, the Summit Executive Centre couldn’t be better located to enjoy downtown Chicago. Located on Michigan Avenue, it’s on the South end of the “Magnificent Mile.” It is less than two blocks from Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and six blocks from the Art Institute of Chicago. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.