Infographics: Edward Tufte Receives White House Appointment
via [ Fast Company ]
Not too long ago, we were bemoaning the fact that the president still lectures at his State of the Union–rather than illustrating his points, like any good communicator, with some handy infographics. And we pointed out that infographics could sway politics mightly, given their unsurpassed power to convey messages that people remember.
Obama’s coming around: He’s just appointed the father of modern data visualization, Edward Tufte, to the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel. Thats the group of people that confer with the White House about the $787 Billion stimulus fund.
Presumably, Tufte will be using his expertise to find charts that illustrate how the stimulus is being used, and what effect its having on the economy. Thats brilliant news, for anyone overwhelmed by the blather surrounding political debates.
And its not just a token appointment. Tufte says that hell be going to Washington several days a month, and teleworking regularly.
