While information design has arguably existed for centuries, the digital evolution and the availability of more and more data have given it a very important role in society. Wind Map pulls information from the publicly accessible National Digital Forecast Database, which the US National Weather Service maintains. The app gathers these forecasts, which are time-stamped and revised every hour, to create a “living portrait” of the wind landscape over the United States. The result is an intricate pattern of swirling currents. “An invisible, ancient source of energy surrounds us, energy that powered the first explorations of the world, and that may be a key to the future,” Viégas and Wattenberg have explained.
Pirouette: Turning Points in Design, January 26, 2025–November 15, 2025
Gallery label from Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design , September 10, 2022–July 16, 2023
Wind Map pulls information from the National Digital Forecast Database, which is maintained by the National Weather Service and available to the public. The app gathers these forecasts, which are time-stamped and revised every hour, to create a “living portrait” of the wind landscape over the United States. “An invisible, ancient source of energy surrounds us, energy that powered the first explorations of the world, and that may be a key to the future,” the designers have said. Wind Map’s patterns serve as useful data visualizations and, as we consider alternative energy sources, a reminder of the power of wind.
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Interactive design
The field that shapes the conversation between people and machines. Successful interactive design translates and simplifies this relationship so that we are able to manage our increasingly tech-heavy lives without extensive technical training.
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Interface
An object, like a phone, or a virtual program, like an app, that facilitates the communication between a person and a machine.
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Visualization design
Visualization design aims to make information understandable and even beautiful. It translates and synthesizes highly complex ideas and experiences into clearer formats, bridging the gap between quantitative and qualitative data through visual means.
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