Multimedia advice

Create your own infographic with a few clicks using GunnMap

Cool Infographics, a great blog by Randy Krum, recently featured GunnMap, an application that allows users to upload their own data, customize the colors and then download the resulting infographic. It seemed too good to be true, so I tested it out for II readers to find out if this could really be the answer for quick-and-easy graphics. Although it has it’s limitations, I have decided that GunnMap is definitely worth checking out.

The application has four data sets already configured for further customization, or users can upload their own data. I immediately went to The World Factbook to grab some interesting data to make my own map. However, the biggest limitation to this application is the inability to separate multiple numbers under one country. For instance, the data set “147.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)” becomes 147710002009. Unless you correct each one by hand, the resulting infographic will be inconsequential.

However, if the data is already parsed correctly, it is as simple as copying and pasting the data into the interface to customize the map. Users can pick the color range, edit the appearance of the map and color key and then choose their downloading settings. The map can be as small as 90×41, or as large as 3600×1640, and can be downloaded as either a .jpg or .png.

Watch how easy it is to utilize this application for personal use in this Vimeo tutorial by creator Arthur Gunn:

GunnMap demo from Arthur Gunn on Vimeo.

For a static graphic, this is a great resource. However, I wanted to see interactive capabilities by providing, at minimum, simple rollover capabilities with an ability to download the resulting .swf. Since the application is Flash and Flex-based, this should be relatively easy to implement.

For now, this is a great way to quickly see the map visualization that will result from a set of data. If more capabilities are provided to download a .swf file, I will definitely use this resource in my future interactive projects.

Other posts that might interest you:

• Advice from Alberto Cairo on animated infographics
• Data visualization tools for free or cheap
• User-contributed holiday book wish list for multimedia enthusiasts

© 5 April 2009 Innovative Interactivity (II).