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The Evolution of a Scientific American Information Graphic: Where the Wild Bees Are

Have you ever wondered how—and why—infographers push beyond familiar forms such as bar charts and network diagrams when translating information from a spreadsheet into an illustration?

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American



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Have you ever wondered how–and why–infographers push beyond familiar forms such as bar charts and network diagrams when translating information from a spreadsheet into an illustration? Data visualizer Moritz Stefaner explains the process behind his Graphic Science assignment for Scientific American in a post on his blog. Check out the final graphic in the December issue of the magazine or the Web version here.

data visualization preliminary sketchesPreliminary sketch details (Credit: Moritz Stefaner)

Jen Christiansen is author of the book Building Science Graphics: An Illustrated Guide to Communicating Science through Diagrams and Visualizations (CRC Press) and senior graphics editor at Scientific American, where she art directs and produces illustrated explanatory diagrams and data visualizations. In 1996 she began her publishing career in New York City at Scientific American. Subsequently she moved to Washington, D.C., to join the staff of National Geographic (first as an assistant art director–researcher hybrid and then as a designer), spent four years as a freelance science communicator and returned to Scientific American in 2007. Christiansen presents and writes on topics ranging from reconciling her love for art and science to her quest to learn more about the pulsar chart on the cover of Joy Division's album Unknown Pleasures. She holds a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a B.A. in geology and studio art from Smith College. Follow Christiansen on X (formerly Twitter) @ChristiansenJen

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