RJ's Inspiration #023 🦒

RJ's Inspiration

weekly viz to inspire you too

🦒 ANATOMY OF A GIANT
is the latest graphic marvel from National Geographic. It is a foldout that appears in the current October 2019 issue. While it looks great here on the web, I urge you to see the print magazine. Only the print version does the actual size giraffe vertebra justice. This detail is one of its many beautiful design flourishes that I love:

• A phylogenetic foundation underpins the animals.

• Comparisons across species anatomy, emphasized with a bold primary color palette.

• Vitruvian superimposed positions explain that long neck.

• A “you could study this for hours” richness made possible with artful layering and expert composition.

ANATOMY OF A GIANT was created by a team lead by Fernando G. Baptista, senior graphics editor and artist for National Geographic Magazine. I am excited to share a behind-the-scenes look into the making of this infographic. Fernando answered my questions over email and sent lots of making-of sketches and video. Read his visually stunning, and thoroughly inspiring interview: https://infowetrust.com/giraffe/

🌲 PACIFIC NORTHWEST
I am traveling to Tacoma and Vancouver this week for NACIS and IEEE VIS. Please let me know if there's a good way for us to see each other there!

👉 ARE YOU ENJOYING THIS SERIES?
Please reply directly to share your favorite viz, offer any advice for how this newsletter experiment can be improved, or say hello. -RJ