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Catherine Mulbrandon's Data Annotation Techniques Transform Complex Data into Understandable Stories

Discover how Catherine Mulbrandon uses data annotation to enhance clarity and meaning in infographics. Her techniques help put numbers into perspective and tell a story.

In this picture there is a white chart poster with some yellow color sticky notes stick on it....
In this picture there is a white chart poster with some yellow color sticky notes stick on it. Beside there are some photographs stick on the chart.

Catherine Mulbrandon's Data Annotation Techniques Transform Complex Data into Understandable Stories

Catherine Mulbrandon, the mastermind behind VisualizingEconomics.com, shares insights on data annotation in infographics. Her latest work, an infographic on median U.S. income since 1913, illustrates her approach.

Data annotation, Catherine explains, is about enhancing clarity and meaning. It involves adding labels, comments, or other information to data. In her infographic, she includes presidential terms, global events, and recessions to provide context. This process helps put numbers into perspective and tells a story.

Catherine places data annotation as step six in her seven-step infographic creation process. She stresses the importance of editing and avoiding visual clutter to maintain clarity. Her tip? A clear, single-sentence summary of an infographic's main idea indicates its success. To ensure clarity, she suggests showing the entire historical data series, providing simple statistics, adding timelines, comparing data series, and using visual hierarchy.

Catherine Mulbrandon's data annotation techniques, as seen in her median U.S. income infographic, help transform complex data into understandable stories. By following her methods, infographic creators can effectively communicate data-driven narratives.

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