The Moscow Flower Show celebrated its sixth International Festival with the theme of ecology, for the enhancement of biodiversity. Here you can see Guest of Honor Claude Pasquer, representing the renowned French International Garden Festival of Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, conduct a … Continue reading →

It seems that nearly every time I’ve sat down to write here on the ol’ blog in the last couple of months, something has gotten in the way. I have untouched ideas and unfinished drafts that I hope to get to at some point. But, it has been a busy…

Five years ago, on December 3, 2018, I made a decision. That decision was to make reading a habit. More specifically, I decided that I would read every single day for a year. Rain or shine. Sick or well. Two hours or 15 minutes. I would read from a book…

As has become my ritual, I’m spending December 31 reflecting on everything that happened throughout the year. Then, I’ll spend the night hunkered down with the kitties, safe from the pops and bangs at midnight. 2023 has most definitely been a challenging year. So challenging that I failed to write…

November would’ve made 21 years. Smeagol was with me for over half my life, and pretty much my full adult life to this point. He was with me as I fell in and out of love who knows how many times over the years. He was with me as I…

Tweets are flying around X about how, actually, now that Donald Trump has won, Republicans can admit that Project 2025 really is the agenda. And the thing is, no one is laughing harder than the actual staffers at The Heritage Foundation. Sources told NOTUS that, in recent days, Heritage group chats have been filled with these sorts of tweets, celebrating how conservatives "tricked the Libs into believing Project 2025 wasn't real."

President-elect Donald Trump says that Tom Homan, his former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement director, will serve as "border czar" in his incoming administration.

The mother of a 7-year-old boy accused the Moscow pediatrician, Nadezhda Buyanova, of telling him that his father's death while fighting in Ukraine was justified.

Trump has selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as his next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to two people familiar with the selection.

President-elect Donald Trump reportedly plans to name Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) as his secretary of state, The New York Times reported Monday night.

Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the Dispatch's Summit 2024 and made clear he opposes President-elect Donald Trump's plan to pardon January 6 rioters - especially those who attacked police. "At the end of the day, I'll always believe that, by God's grace, we did our duty [on January 6] to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America," Pence said according to Dispatch on social media.

Brand Builders Summit 2024 wins ‘Typography Honors’ at Awwwards for outstanding typography and design, attracting 60K+ visitors globally. 2025 waitlist open!

Thanks to the AI-powered Adobe Creative Cloud Libraries, creatives can now simplify workflows and design processes in seconds!

Looking for the best AI tools & resources? We're actively compiling the ultimate list of the best artificial intelligence tools & resources.

Tags: Illustrator, R

By Marianne Van Lent A recurring theme in the oeuvre of Marianne Van Lent is the mirage. The paintings in this collection address the theme of the mirage in nature. Ranging from 1996 – 2015 the mirage, as Van Lent … Continue reading →

These beautiful 11th International Garden Photographer of the Year award-winning photographs irrefutably evidence diverse, tender and grand wonders to be found in our cultivated and natural environs the world over today. From Brazil to Canada, from China to Croatia, Hong … Continue reading →

traveled a long way back home

By Deirdre Fulton Common Dreams The epoch is thought to have begun in the 1950s, when human activity set global systems on a different trajectory   The Anthropocene Epoch has begun, according to a group of experts assembled at the … Continue reading →

By Susan Bales Courtesy of Children & Nature Network Some years ago, I worked as a “nature lady” at a Y camp in the San Bernardino Mountains above Los Angeles. Urban kids who had no experience in nature came to … Continue reading →

By Brett Israel UC Berkeley News Elemental sulfur, the most heavily used pesticide in California, may harm the respiratory health of children living near farms that use the pesticide, according to new research led by UC Berkeley. In a study … Continue reading →

By Catherine V. Moore YES! Magazine In the post-coal economy, life-skills training helps employ people and restore the savaged land. On a surface-mine-turned-farm in Mingo County, West Virginia, former coal miner Wilburn Jude plunks down three objects on the bed … Continue reading →

WildEarth Guardians Press Release Federal Court Overturns Leasing of Lands to Oil and Gas Industry SANTA FE, NM — In a victory for New Mexico’s air, climate, and water, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico today … Continue reading →

By Nate Seltenrich Environmental Health Perspectives Human impacts on our planet have become so profound that many researchers now favor a new name for the current epoch: the Anthropocene.1 The underlying premise of this term is that essentially every Earth … Continue reading →

Starting an SEO campaign in 2022 can be a daunting task. Many SEO landscapes are highly competitive, SEO campaigns take a long time to gain returns, and many different types of optimization can be done. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! This guide will give you all the information you need to get your […]

The post The Complete 2022 Guide to Search Engine Optimization appeared first on Snap2objects.

For software companies competing in today’s digital marketplace, simply having an online presence isn’t enough. To capture the attention of your target audience and engage them throughout your sales funnel, you need to develop and deploy a strategic, comprehensive, and consistent digital marketing plan. Digital marketing is not just about visibility — it’s about establishing […]

The post The Most Effective Digital Marketing Strategies for B2B Software Companies appeared first on 3.7 Designs.

In today’s constantly evolving digital landscape, search engine optimization (SEO) has emerged as a critical tool for enhancing online visibility and bringing more eyes to your content.  Implementing SEO strategies in life science marketing goes beyond simple rankings and clicks, though. It’s about providing valuable, user-focused content that resonates with the target audience you want […]

The post How to Boost Search Visibility With Life Science SEO appeared first on 3.7 Designs.

Introducing a comprehensive guide that dispels the notion of being restricted to a local web design company and instead encourages you to embrace the boundless potential of a global approach to website design. Covering everything from design trends to search engine optimization and user testing, we delve into every aspect of the contemporary web design […]

The post Navigating Web Design Around Me: Unveiling Digital Horizons appeared first on 3.7 Designs.

Digital marketing is an essential part of how today’s tech companies reach customers. A tailored digital marketing strategy can provide high value content to potential customers while also demonstrating the need and effectiveness of your offerings. This article dives into the importance of digital marketing for tech companies and the most important tactics and platforms […]

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Today’s tech firms need a solid digital marketing strategy to stand out and remain competitive in the eyes of potential customers. Tech businesses can use many tactics, channels, and communication styles to reach key decision-makers and sell more products or services. So, effective marketing strategies for tech companies must include an intentional combination of these […]

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Marketing automation has been a buzzword for years, and maybe you’ve tried it with some (or no) success, or maybe you’re just now ready to give it a shot. Either way, this article is for you. Marketing automation tools can be a game-changer for marketing and sales teams. Still, they need proper implementation to get […]

The post Marketing Automation for B2B: Strategies to Boost Your Sales appeared first on 3.7 Designs.

Launching a new B2B software product requires a different approach than traditional go-to-market strategies. The business model you choose should align with varying types of products and market conditions, as it significantly influences overall sales success and the structuring of sales teams. The software space is crowded, and your potential customers are likely already using […]

The post From Research to Revenue: A Complete Guide to B2B Software GTM appeared first on 3.7 Designs.

I really like this chart! It hits all of the data visualization design best practices for me. This was published by the NYTimes in the article: Here’s How Much Hotter Than Normal This June Has Been

Here’s what I like:

• It’s time series data, so it’s visualized as a line chart

• Year-over-year data is easy to compare as overlapping lines for the same Jan-Dec time period

• No chart legend! The lines are labeled directly within your field of view in the chart

• Using the pre attentive attribute of color, 2023 is highlighted in orange and the rest are gray lines

• The chosen orange color isn’t red or green so there isn’t any implication of good or bad

• The 2022 line is a darker shade of gray, so it’s also distinguishable, but not the focus

• The x-axis labels are only every other month to minimize the text on the page

• The is one example of when a non-zero baseline is appropriate so you can see the details

NOTE: This NYTimes article is behind their paywall, so you may not be able to see the original article without a subscription. I have a limited amount of “gift articles” I can share. You can CLICK THIS LINK if you don’t have a subscription and want to see the full article. It will let you see the article until I run out of shares!

The History of Barbie infographic from the design team at Lemonly does a great job bringing you up to date on Barbie’s history to help you enjoy the new blockbuster movie even more.

From Lemonly:

You know her. You love her. But how well do you know the history of Barbie? Barbie’s many evolutions have taken her to the runway, the White House, and everywhere in between. For more than 60 years, Barbie has held a special place in the hearts and imaginations of children everywhere — and done it all in pink high heels.

To celebrate Barbie’s iconic legacy and the premiere of Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, we created this infographic to help Barbie fans everywhere learn more about the history of one of the world’s most iconic dolls.

Check out the illustrated timeline of Barbie history below!

This design has more text than I normally like, but it works in this context, explaining each event with only 1-2 sentences. As a timeline, I’m not a fan of the weaving back-and-forth line style that doesn’t spread out the events based on time durations.

You also notice that all of the illustrations are new. They didn’t use any actual product images, movie images or even the official Barbie font to stay clear of any potential copyright or trademark issues.

Bard Vs ChatGPT infographic by Zealous System breaks down the specifics and differences between the two AI language models.

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is based on GPT-3.5 architecture and has become a leading AI language model, renowned for its ability to generate human-like text and provide insightful responses. On the other hand, BARD, a language model equipped with advanced natural language understanding and generation capabilities, makes it a formidable competitor in the market.

ChatGPT is better at generating creative text formats, such as poems, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc. It is also better at generating different responses to the same prompt, which can make it more engaging to interact with. However, ChatGPT is not as good at answering factual questions as Bard.

Bard is better at answering factual questions, summarizing text, and providing information from the real world. It is also better at following instructions and completing requests thoughtfully. However, Bard is not as good at generating creative text formats as ChatGPT.

This is a fairly general informative infographic design. No specific point, or push to use one over the other. Good information as a comparison infographic using the publicly available information about each tool (which there is very little specific data).

The footer should include some type of copyright (or Creative Commons) license and the URL to get to the infographic landing page (not just the company home page).

Thanks to Mary Logan for the submission!

Kennth Field used Nasa’s data to create this Annular Eclipse infographic. The graphic combines the information of where the eclipse had its highest coverage, as well as the time of day it was at its peak. It also shares the direct path of the moon and some basic information on what an eclipse is.

Overall, a beautiful summary with very little verbiage. In only a few seconds, you could tell how obscured the Sun was going to be in your part of the U.S.

Thanks for RJ Andrews for bringing this graphic to our attention!

Ten years ago today, the Cool Infographics book was released on October 28, 2013. I frequently lament that it’s nice to have written a book, but the actual process of writing a book was pretty difficult.

I never set out to write a book. Wiley publishing approached me in 2011, and convinced me to turn the talk I was presenting at conferences into the outline for a new book. I had started my infographics design company, InfoNewt, in 2010, and was giving almost monthly presentations about my process to design, publish and promote infographics. Turns out that the talk outline did lend itself nicely to the structure of what became the Cool Infographics chapters.

Looking back, there were a number of unique challenges that I had to solve while putting together the book, and some were also new issues for Wiley.

Permissions to include infographics

I didn’t design most of the infographics I included in the book, because this wasn’t a book of self promotion. My goal was to share the best designs from the world of infographics as examples, and that meant including designs from some of the best designers in the world.

Here was my challenge. Most infographics are meant to be shared and reposted as much as possible online. “Going viral” was the ultimate achievement of an infographic. However, legally reprinting an infographic in a book required the explicit, signed permission of each infographic’s copyright holder. I ended up including over 100 infographic examples in the book, which was a lot of negotiation and legwork.

For every design I included, I had to track down the designer or publishing company, and get them to sign an official permission form that allowed me to include their design. I wasn’t able to include many of the designs I wanted to share because either I couldn’t track down the original designer, or they refused to sign the permission form.

Infographics are large

The online infographics that I was writing about were much larger that what could effectively be shown on the 7.3 x 9.2 inch pages of the book. They had to be reduced to fit on the pages, which made the text in many of them unreadable when sized to the book’s pages. Wiley didn’t want to publish a larger format book, so I had to come up with another idea.

My solution was that every design I included, also included a link to view the original infographic online. The downside was that readers can’t click a link in a printed book. That meant they would have to manually type in the URL, and many of the links were really long and complicated addresses. So, I created over 100 shortened links for the book, using my hosting platform from the coolinfographics.com website.

For example:

Link in the book: Coolinfographics.com/Figure-5-19

Forwards to the long original URL: http://create.mcgraw-hill.com/wordpress-mu/connectblog/files/2012/03/McGraw-Hill-Connect-Handout-WHITE-Small.jpg

See what I mean? No one was ever going to try to type in that long URL.

I also created an index web page for all of the Figures that had clickable links for every design in the book that is available to see online: coolinfographics.com/figures

Making the book navigation visual

Infographics is a very visual topic. Not only do readers want to see the visual examples of every concept I discuss in the book, but I wanted the book itself to be visual too. This took some negotiating with Wiley to make happen. Every chapter has its own color, and I included that color on every page in a small tab that prints all the way to what is called the “fore edge” of the page. This makes the color visible at the edges of the pages even when the book is closed. These tabs are staggered down the page to provide an easy navigation to find the color you see in the Table of Contents.

Marketing was my job

It turns out that most book publishing companies are very focused on publishing, printing and distributing a book, but not so much on marketing them once they get printed. Once a book is published they move on to publishing the next book, and the majority of promoting my book fell to me. This was something I didn’t expect. I am constantly teaching people that designing and publishing an infographic isn’t enough, and you have to promote it too. I wrote a whole chapter about in the Cool Infographics book! Similarly, I expected a big book publisher to be good at the promotion process for books. I was wrong. They printed a beautiful color book and got it into Amazon and onto the shelves at bookstores like Barnes & Noble, but that’s where their effort mostly ended.

Most of the promotion for the book has come from me. Whether it was one of my talks, a guest appearance on a podcast, an article that mentioned the book (like this one) or someone using Google to search for infographics and finding the Cool Infographics website.

Where to go from here?

The book has done really well for 10 years, and sales continue. The concepts I wrote about in the book are all just as relevant now, as they were 10 years ago. However, some of the example designs are out-of-date, and some of the design tools aren’t around anymore.

Where do you think we should from here? As readers of the Cool Infographics website and book, what would you like to see as ongoing content exploring the design, publishing and promotion of infographics? Videos, workshops, articles, tutorials, online courses, etc. Post a question, comment, or idea and let me know how Cool Infographics can be relevant to you in the future.

I’d love to hear from you. Either post a comment below or send me a note through the CONTACT page.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could sell photo subscription plans to your own stock website, just like the big boys at iStockPhoto? In less than one month, you’ll be able to do just that! Our new subscription extension for Sell Media will allow you to: Create up to 10 monthly and yearly subscription plans. Set download limits […]

Squarespace is a useful platform for many users. It’s easy to use, possesses some excellent features, and looks modern to boot. That being said, there’s no need to limit yourself to using a single platform in order to harness various aspects of its functionality. If you don’t mind a little work, it’s entirely possible to integrate Squarespace with […]

One perennial question asked by site owners is: “Which web host is the best?” Of course, the answer is normally, “It depends”. Those looking to create a photography website, for example, will have specific factors to consider besides simply who’s in the top spot. There are a number of requirements you should factor in when […]

Making a name for yourself as a photographer is hard enough without having to deal with all the minutia of setting up a self-hosted website. Often, the thought of purchasing hosting, developing the design, and creating your content feels like extra hassle you simply don’t need. That’s where Squarespace comes in. It’s an easy-to-use platform with some simple […]

WordPress boasts thousands of free themes, some of which are pretty darn good. But it also offers the option of installing premium themes. They say that you get what you pay for, and this often holds true with premium themes. Your website’s design is your company’s virtual storefront. To mark your presence in the real […]

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