Ben Willers
Graphic Communication
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My Studies and Research
In January 2012 I graduated from the University of Lincoln (UK) with a pass at distinction level after studying on the MA Design program. My background in graphic design and a fascination with statistics lead to an interest in wanting to develop as a data visualisation and information graphic designer. FFor my major project I wanted to produce a body of work that demonstrates an ability to be visually engaging, understandable and useful to data experts and novices alike. Many aspects of my life including five weeks of eating, several months of sleep and two years of spending were compiled into a spreadsheet before being transformed into the visualisations featured >here.
For my dissertation I wanted to investigate the challenges, limitations and merits of presenting quantitative information using area encoding. This method has become extremely popular yet controversial in the field of data visualisation. Many beautiful pieces have been produced using this technique, however many experts claim the brain is a poor judge of area which leads to an erroneous impression being left in the minds of the reader. This study has given me an opportunity to investigate whether it is possible to measure the error that results in our poor ability to make judgements of area and what a designer can do to help eliminate this problem. Case studies spanning 150 years as well as examples from my own work are then used to demonstrate the limitations and merits of using area to show statistical information.
My Aims
I enjoy solving problems, what designer doesn't? I find the challenges of visualising data hugely rewarding because of the complexity and variety of the problems involved. I often observe two distinct cultures in data visualisation; very technical analysis-orientated work and artistic pieces with a focus on aesthetics. I find great satisfaction in finding solutions that fulfill both of these criteria so that data can be engaging to a wide audience on every level.
