We need to "see" through information.
Visual imagery can tell stories and truths which would be very hard to capture and communicate otherwise. While we need to badly see how the world is changing from a comprehensive and distant "viewpoint" the comprehensive set of data that contains such view is not in view. Why?

Most large organizations have huge amount of publicly funded data, which are inaccessible from the outside world and which, in many cases cannot be easily mixed and compared with similar data coming from other institutions.

But what if we could effectively link data to visual design and make the numbers talk through easy to understand animations and diagrams?

Hans Rosling, Professor of International Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden since 1998, uses beautiful animated charts and minimalistic diagrams to explain the world we live in. Poverty, money and health can be seen at once shaping or being shaped by world events, technology and the passing of time.

Recorded during the TED conference that took place last week, this is one of several videos (and audio clips) that the TED organizers have decided not only to publish immediately, but which, in the true spirit of open and free content distribution on the Internet, have made available to other publishers for full re-use.

This is a beautiful lesson in visual communication and information design. A must view for any serious presenter.

To download or review the presentation of Prof. Roslling and to leanr more about converting static data into beautiful animated story-telling charts please see Gapminder.org.