This weblog’s existence can be credited to Bryan Murley, my Multimedia Journalism professor at Eastern Illinois University. I say this because a weblog is a requirement of that class. As such, we (the students of the class) have a few requirements for our blogs. One of which is a final project entitled “Adopt-a-multimedia Journalism” where we choose a journalist in the field that is currently creating new media work (videos, Flash, Soundslides, etc.) and then we have to write a critique of their work. That said, I have chosen Amanda Cox of the New York Times and her work is amazing, so there will be inspirational value within. Avoid or flock to these posts as you see fit.
6: How This Bear Market Compares
Unlike the graphics listed above, there is not a ton of information jammed in here. However, the little information and the way it is presented is effective. What this graphic does for me is inject truth like no word story could provide. The length of time this recession has taken and how far down the economy has gone is nothing when compared to recessions/depressions of the past. This brilliantly and simply illustrates this. The snippets of information that are provided when a fever bar is clicked on adds just enough to make this more than a simple chart. That said, I would have liked the ability to navigate using the timeline in the lower left. A user shouldn’t feel like functionality is missing — it creates confusion and makes the user question lower their expectations of functionality.
7: Electoral Shifts
Of all the graphics listed thus far, “Electoral Shifts” is the weakest. Very little interactivity is involved and it essentially boils down to a slide show. The animations between are nice, but a user should feel empowered by interactive graphics. I see no reason why the functionality this graphic gives was not deligated to simple images. If flash is used (a plug in that not every device and computer supports or has), then it should be used to its full potential.
8: Oil Prices Reach Symbolic Mark
This is much less an interactive graphic as it is simply an effective multimedia package. The interaction between the narrator and the graphic is both well done and necessary. The loop in the graph is confusing because traditional line graphs map time to the x-axis, creating the appearance of a time shift. However, the x-axis in this functions as an oil consumption meter with bullets showing dates. While it works in practice, I still feel like there could have been a better way to represent the information — possibly through a bar graph. I would have also liked to have seen the ability to click on the bullet points.
9: Serena Williams’ Professional Career
The fact that I am able to add a 7th graphic under the “I’m impressed” category really says a lot about Amanda Cox and her colleagues’ work. This sports graphic goes all out. There are check boxes, graphs, comparisons, summaries and navigators everywhere. If you’re a Serena Williams fan or even just a casual admirer (I’m neither), then you’re bound to find something you want. This has to be one of the most comprehensive graphics I have seen. The effort and time that went into creating this graphic must have been extremely high.
10: In Their Ads, the Words They Use
A graphic from the political season. Nothing spectacular, but certainly telling. As stated above about the bear market graphic, this presents the truth as it actually is. Simple words are not enough to express the comparison a graphic like this provides. Ultimately, the messages of these candidates are very similar and only in their nuances can you find a difference, but that is not as easily understood as a word cloud.
Filed under: Adopt-a-multimedia Journalist, General, Inspiration, Misc., Newspapers, School, Web
