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Piktochart
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Amy Pajewski, Reference Librarian, Cornette Library, West Texas A&M University
Data visualization is becoming more accessible and easy-to-use with recent developments of online tools. Piktochart allows the user to design and create free infographics, reports, banners, or presentations by simply selecting “Start for Free.” There are a number of free templates, or librarians can begin with a blank canvas. Presenting engaging data and statistics is essential to garner stakeholder support, and Piktochart allows users to make products that are quick, easy, and professional looking without having design or graphical experience.
The structure of Piktochart is essentially a canvas with which blocks are layered. Librarians can upload background images, add text, import datasets, or use stock images and then add elements such as shapes and lines, icons, maps, photos, and charts. The Charts section has the widest range of features for displaying data, including bar, dot, line, pie, Venn, matrix, donut, and progress bars. If a map is more appealing for displaying data, Piktochart provides many geographical areas, all of which are dynamic and customizable; librarians can assign information to certain areas on the map, and users will see that information appear when hovering over the area. Piktochart works well with Google Drive, and librarians can upload a dataset from an existing Google Spreadsheet.
Displaying the completed infographic is as easy as attaching it to an email, sharing publicly on social media, saving as a JPEG or PNG file, importing it into webpages via embedded HTML code, or exporting it to Evernote. Piktochart's free tool is powerful, and the Pro version allows even more individualization and customization.
In Short: Piktochart has immense potential to assist librarians in creating dynamic, visually appealing, and readable infographics, charts, and maps that speak to administrators and stakeholders. The ability to design and create products without previous design experience will motivate librarians to create beautifully displayed data and continue to be filled with inspiration.
Highly Recommended.
Mapbox
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Lindsey Fox, GIS Coordinator, Jean & Alexander Heard Library, Vanderbilt University
Mapbox is a great Geographic Information System (GIS) resource that is both easy to learn and implement. Given the time commitment it takes to really learn and maintain a GIS, Mapbox offers a simple alternative to designing and publishing beautiful maps. A map that takes a significant amount of time to make in commercial software takes only a few minutes to make in Mapbox. The out-of-the-box base maps and ease of adding data makes it an appealing option for librarians to use in their everyday instruction. Mapbox can be used to map census data, historic maps, or even create thick maps (such as some seen in the digital humanities).
Not only does Mapbox offer simplicity, but the platform also offers an open-source library of JavaScript tools that can be used to customize the map into an impactful web application. Mapbox is free to use with up to 100 MB of storage; beyond that, plans start at $5 per month. Useable data formats include geojson, csv, kml, or gpx. These data can either be imported or drawn directly on the map. Supported geometries include points, lines, and polygons. Historic maps, with a geographic reference, can also be uploaded to Mapbox through the use of Tilemill, complimentary software to Mapbox. Tilemill can be used to further design and customize maps beyond what is found ‘out of the box’ in Mapbox.
In Short: Mapbox is a quick and easy way to visualize geographic data. This tool comes highly recommended for those interested in creating a basic map without the need to learn a high level of GIS. This tool is also scalable in that it can be used for both easy map creation and/or the complete customization of a web application.
Highly recommended.
Easel.ly
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Anne Driscoll, Education Librarian, George Mason University
Easel.ly is cloud-based infographic tool that launched in 2012. Shortly after, Easel.ly received the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) 2013 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Award (American Association of School Librarians, 2013). The site offers two account options: a free account or Easel.ly Pro, which costs $36 per year and provides a much broader range of options. This review focuses on the free option. The free account allows users to create new or modify existing infographics through a drag and drop process.
Easel.ly calls its infographics “canvases.” The canvases are created via a simple drag and drop process using the tool bar at the top of the page. The Easel.ly interface includes six menu options: Vhemes (templates), objects, backgrounds, shapes, text, and an uploading tool. Users create a canvas by modifying publicly available infographics or by creating an infographic from scratch. Users have the option to change background colors, or change the size, shape, and color of a limited range of basic shapes. Text is available in three sizes (title, header, or body) and in ten different fonts. The tool also includes basic pie, area, line, and scatter charts. There are 60 free categories of objects (graphics), which range from animals to war themed graphics.
Users must create an account if they wish to save their completed infographic. Account holders can also create shareable links or embed the HTML code in a web page. Users must chose to set their canvases as either private or public; the public option allows anyone to search for and access the completed infographics. Finished canvases may also be downloaded as a low or high-quality jpg or as a PDF. Users must also log in to Easel.ly to open a saved canvas.
There are some flaws with the tool. In addition to the limited choice of fonts, themes, and images, help is not readily available. There is a “Leave a Message” option at the bottom of the Easel.ly homepage, but this reviewer tried to access it at different times of the day only to find it offline. Easel.ly does have a blog, which can be searched for assistance. Users can also email for assistance. Lastly, once a user signs up for an account, they can expect to receive at least two emails per day. A recent addition is the Easely.ly iPad app, available via Apple's App Store.
In Short: Easel.ly is a simplified drag and drop infographic tool which allows users to create colorful infographics on almost any topic that can be shared, embedded, or downloaded. The tool has an easy learning curve, which makes it ideal for public services librarians, teachers, and students.
Recommended.
REFERENCES
American Association of School Librarians. (2013). Best websites for teaching and learning 2013. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards-guidelines/best-websites/2013
ColorBrewer 2.0: Color Advice for Cartography
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Kelly Giles, Applied Sciences Librarian, James Madison University
There are many tools on the Web for designing attractive color schemes; two of this reviewer's favorites are Color Explorer (http://www.colorexplorer.com) and Paletton (http://paletton.com). However, just looking good is not enough when it comes to data visualization projects. This reviewer is often been frustrated when trying to choose colors for a graph that will be aesthetically pleasing without blending together or implying anything misleading about the data. This is why I was delighted to discover ColorBrewer 2.0, developed by Cynthia A. Brewer at Pennsylvania State University.
Although this tool was specifically designed for cartographers, the suggested color schemes are suitable for any data visualization project. The easy-to-use interface allows users to choose the number of data classes that they need to represent, as well as the nature of their data. ColorBrewer 2.0 will then recommend suitable color schemes, which can be previewed on a sample map. The ability to choose schemes for different types of data is particularly helpful. A color scheme that uses shades of a single color is great for sequential data, but could be confusing if used to represent diverging data or qualitatively different groups. ColorBrewer 2.0 can recommend color schemes for all three of these data types, with up to 12 colors per scheme.
Additional features include the ability to limit color schemes to those that are color blind accessible, printer friendly, or will remain distinct even when photocopied in black and white. This last option is also useful when preparing figures for a journal that displays images in color online but in black and white in the print edition. Cartographers will appreciate the ability to add roads and cities to the preview and see how the color scheme would look when added to a terrain map. Once a color scheme has been selected, users can view the hexadecimal, RGB, and CMYK codes for each color. Schemes can be exported in a variety of formats, including as an Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE) file, and shared with others through a permalink option.
In Short: ColorBrewer 2.0 is a versatile, easy-to-use tool for choosing appropriate color schemes for a variety of data visualization projects. Suitable for students at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels as well as instructors, librarians, researchers, and other professionals.
Highly recommended.
Creately
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Daniel A. Sabol, Evening and Weekend Reference Librarian, Mortola Library, Pace University
Planning and forecasting are a must as academic libraries enter a time of turbulent, unknown, and unpredictable situations. Having the correct tools is just as important to help navigate what's ahead. With this in mind, Australian technology company Cinergix has developed a product, Creately, which allows users to create flowcharts, mind maps, organizational charts, and many other diagrams.
The product allows individuals and teams to collaborate from different locations and offers limited free features including the ability to search five public diagrams per month, one secure project area for a team to work in, and the ability to collaborate in real time with unlimited team members. The paid subscriptions range in price and features, based upon the number of subscribers and plan selected. More tools are available with a paid subscription.
Creately is easy to navigate and has clearly labeled buttons. It is well laid out; although the site does consist of some grammatical errors as the company used an interpreter to help with the translations. Cinergix offers many tutorials and educational materials to teach users how to effectively use the product. It offers videos and example charts for many different types of projects.
Creately is intended for use by anyone in a variety of different industries, including libraries, who want to create diagrams, but it can also be used by students to recreate charts like the periodic table and other flow charts. The scope of the site is rather useful; and while it should be mentioned that Microsoft Office offers similar features, Microsoft's tools lack the ability to collaborate or use many of the cool features Creately offers. One other set back of the free version is the type of support users receive. On the site, it indicates that a user must use the “Community” for answers, while for the paying members, it states help is available via “Priority email.” As such, users of the free version lose the direct contact with the company when they encounter issues.
This site can benefit librarians, students and the general public for visualizing both large and small projects. It has the capability to help design algorithms for databases and determine the best workflows for a particular job. Also, the site is visually appealing and immediately conveys its intended use.
In Short: Creately offers many nice features and tools to help with planning and diagramming jobs. The site could save libraries money, as librarians can design a nice diagram without having to hire a designer or planner. Users have total control of their design. Finally, it is noted on Creately's website that they are trusted by such super powers as NASA, Social Security Administration, and Amazon.com.
Highly recommended.
Infogr.am
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Nicole Eva, Librarian, University of Lethbridge
Data visualization is a ‘hot topic’ in libraries these days, and certainly any type of library can benefit from using infographics in order to communicate important messages to their stakeholders. As such, it is a boon to discover tools which provide librarians with the ability to create these visualizations easily and for free. Infogr.am is such a tool. A basic account is available for free, or users can upgrade to a pro ($18 USD/month) or white label ($50 USD/month) account for more options and customizations; there are also paid team and business plans. This review speaks only to the free features of this product.
The site has a clean, attractive design, but compared with similar products, the interface is not particularly intuitive or user-friendly. Initially, one can choose from eight templates that are all laid out almost identically, with slightly varied backgrounds and colors. In fact, while users can do much more customization with the layout, someone not naturally creative may assume this is the look they are stuck with. However, inspiration can be found by viewing ‘featured’ infographics made by other users.
The infographics created with Infogr.am are essentially chart- or map-based. Only the U.S. map appears to be available with the free account. To create and edit a chart, a little spreadsheet pops up in which to enter the data, and from that data numerous types of charts or graphs can be created. However, it is not apparent how to easily change an existing graph to a different style, say, from a scatter chart to a bubble graph. In order to do this, it seems one has to create a new chart. It is possible to copy and paste the data from one spreadsheet to the next, but it would be much simpler to experiment with various chart types if one could simply click on another style to view. There are 30 chart types available, and users can also insert text, videos, and images. Chart types go far beyond bar graphs and pie charts: word clouds, pictorials, and pyramids are also options, so it is possible to present data in very creative and interesting ways.
Users can add as many new visuals as they like; the page just keeps getting longer. The free account does not let allow for downloading or printing the file; a user can, however, share their graphic via social media, embed it into a web page, or email it. If a library's data is quantitative and lends itself well to a chart or graph, and they do not intend to use it in a printed form but only need it virtually, it is likely that Infogr.am will work well.
In Short: Infogr.am is a nice site with which to create simple infographics for the novice user who does not require many features. There are other free sites available, which may serve this purpose as well or better, but Infogr.am is certainly one place to start.
Recommended.
Gliffy Online
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Lesley Shotts, Research and Grants Coordinator, J.F. Drake State Community and Technical College
Data visualization allows individuals to express ideas through the use of diagrams, pictures, and other graphic formats. One tool currently available to aid in data visualization is Gliffy Online. Founded in 2005 by Chris Kohlhardt and Clint Dickson (Gliffy, Inc., 2015), Gliffy Online provides a user-friendly, web-based tool to create a variety of diagrams allowing users to share visual displays of concepts with collaborators and the public at large. Gliffy Online is intended for anyone in need of a tool that can be used to create a variety of diagrams including flowcharts, room layouts, organizational charts, and more.
The overall design of the Gliffy Online website is very attractive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate. One of the best features of the site is the brief tutorial provided upon clicking the “Start Drawing” button. The tutorial is very helpful in learning how to use Gliffy. It is simple to understand and provides enough information to immediately start using the drawing tool. This reviewer was able to draw a simple flowchart with great ease. The tutorial can be accessed at any time via the Help Menu. Gliffy Online also provides users with an extensive user manual that includes easy to follow, step-by-step instructions.
The free subscription to Gliffy Online provides access to four shape libraries. Additional shape libraries are available with paid subscriptions (a standard annual subscription is $3.99). Users also have the ability to change text size, font, and color. Users can upload their own images, so library logos can easily be added. It is also possible to collaborate with other individuals on projects. Gliffy allows diagrams to be exported as .PNG, .JPG, .SVG, or Gliffy files. Users must create an account in order to save the diagrams. This can be done by creating an account with Gliffy, Inc. or by using an already existing Facebook, Google +, or Microsoft Live account.
Gliffy provides both free and subscription based tools. Users can create up to five diagrams with the free subscription. For those needing to create more diagrams or wanting access to additional tools, Gliffy Online offers standard and business subscription options for individuals. It also offers discounted subscription options to academic institutions (Gliffy, Inc., 2015).
In Short: Gliffy Online provides an easy to use tool for creating diagrams of all kinds. This tool would be very useful for public services librarians in performing daily operations of their department and also to share with interested patrons.
Recommended.
REFERENCES
Gliffy, Inc. (2015). Gliffy. Retrieved from https://www.gliffy.com/
DiRT: Digital Research Tools
http://dirtdirectory.org/tadirah/visualization
Visited: Summer 2015
Reviewer: Lora L. Smallman, Humanities Librarian, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
The DiRT (Digital Research Tools) Directory is an excellent collection of resources for digital humanities research and other digital scholarship. While the scope of the DiRT Directory is wider than data visualization, this review highlights that section of the website in alignment with the column's theme. The page for data visualization includes a list of 89 tools, all of which include a description and metadata and most of which are free. The list is by no means comprehensive, but the project certainly aspires to be. Each tool on this page lists its title, a short description, a link to the tool's home page, the code license, and date for when it was last updated.
Users can customize their search for a tool by manipulating the drop-down menus at the top of the list; for example, one can select “Windows” in the menu for “Platform” to exclude any tools not compatible with the operating system. After choosing a tool, users can click on the title to get more information, including a more detailed description with metadata, screenshots, name of the DiRT Directory contributor, and a comment section. Many of the detailed descriptions include links to tutorials for help with learning to use the tool.
The current DiRT Directory website developed from “Bamboo DiRT,” which was once a part of Project Bamboo, a development from Lisa Spiro's work. Spiro is the executive director of Digital Scholarship Services at Rice University's Fondren Library. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports the DiRT Directory, which continues to develop, with goals of collaborating with the DHCommons (http://dhcommons.org/) and Commons In A Box (http://commonsinabox.org/) projects.
In Short: The DiRT Directory is an excellent place for librarians and digital humanists to discover new tools and/or alternatives for data visualization. This reviewer recommends this resource for all skill levels but also advises data visualization novices to bring curiosity and awareness of a learning curve.
Recommended.