Google Integrates GapMinder Data Visualization into Spreadsheets

Friday, March 28. 2008

After nearly a year of waiting to see what Google would do with the purchase of Hans Rosling's GapMinder project we've been rewarded! Google has integrated the GapMinder time-series data visualization tools directly into Google Spreadsheets as a 'Gadget'.

The gadget allows you turn turn any time-series data into stunning full motion graphs. The graphs are interactive and can also be easily embedded into your online work as a flash object.

Here's Hans Rosling in action, showing off the GapMinder tool with Carbon Emmission data:

With the addition of GapMinder gadgets in Google spreadsheets, you can now create your own visualizations in a snap. Here's a quick one that I did showing web traffic to the main sections of ForumOne.com over the past year - fun!

Take some time to play with the axis parameter and you can begin to see how powerful this tool is. Many of the organizations that we work with have data as a core piece of their issue analysis and policy work. Exploring this new tool should be a high priority for those that are looking for a flexible and simple way to present that data online in engaging formats.

Posted by Kurt Voelker in Technology at 12:07 | Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0)

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Influence covers innovations in communication, Internet technology and strategy to generate influence on important public policy issues. Chris Wolz manages this blog with the help of his colleagues at Forum One Communications, a web strategy/technology firm in the Washington DC area.