Charts and Infographics
Charts and Infographics
RECENT UPDATES
Perspective
Perspective is an open source, interactive analytics and data visualization tool well-suited for large and/or streaming datasets. Use it to create user-configurable reports, dashboards, notebooks and applications, then deploy stand-alone in the browser, or in concert with Python and/or Jupyterlab.
The Open Notebook Tipsheet: Designing Science Graphics
Kumu.io
Kumu makes it easy to organize complex data into relationship maps that are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. Pricing starts at $9 per project up to a pricier enterprise package.
Humaans
Create royalty-free illustrations with a variety of skin tones, body types and backgrounds.
NOTE: Need help with those stats? Find resources in The Journalist’s Toolbox Math for Journalists page.
CHART- AND INFOGRAPHIC-MAKING TOOLS
Data Visualisation Catalogue
Use templates to design and develop graphics using custom dashboards, reports and data extracts.
Datawrapper.de
Build simple interactive charts and graphics with this browser-based tool.
Flourish
Turn spreadsheets into responsive visualizations, maps, interactives and more.
Flourish Overview
Slides from Google on how the tool works.
Flourish’s New Pop-Up Panels (Feb. 2021)
Flourish: Connecting a Live-CSV Feature
Blog post on setting up a chart that it pulls through the data from a publicly available CSV file living on the internet.
Flourish Dataset Repository
Practicing mapping or charts with Flourish? Use their practice data from this repository.
Journalist Studio
A deep collection of data viz tools from Google.
ProCreate
iPad app for drawing and animated videos. Very popular among illustrators. Runs about $10.
Google Public Data Explorer
Create interactive graphics using U.S. Census and other public data. No coding skills needed.
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
RStudio
RStudio makes R easier to use. It includes a code editor, debugging and visualization tools.
Python
Python is an interpreted, object-oriented, high-level programming language with dynamic semantics. Its high-level built-in data structures, combined with dynamic typing and dynamic binding, make it very attractive for development, as well as for use as a scripting or glue language to connect existing components together.
First Python Notebook Course
A step-by-step guide to analyzing data with Python and the Jupyter Notebook.
Jupyter Notebook
Open-source software, open-standards, and services for interactive computing across dozens of programming languages.
Datawrapper: What Questions to Ask When Creating Charts
Canva
Basic interactive and static infographic maker. Has a built-in video editor, too.
IJNET: Tips for Journalists Using Canva
Simpler Story
Simpler Story is a no-code platform for data journalists, that lets anyone build a story with rich and interactive data visualizations, in minutes.
Training Video: Canva Video Editor for Beginners
November 2021 training video for updated Canva video editor.
Venngage
Build static or interactive graphics with this tool.
Infogr.am
Basic interactive and static infographic maker. Good for making stand-alone charts, too.
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
Highcharts
Create interactive charts for your websites.
Charticulator
Open-source graphics tool launched by Microsoft November 2020.
Chartblocks
Chart-making tool.
The GIMP Tutorials
A tutorial site that covers everything you might want to do in GIMP (an open source image editing program), from basic editing operations to advanced custom brush creation and RAW photo editing workflows.
Visual.ly
Basic interactive and static infographic maker.
Easel.ly
Basic interactive and static infographic maker.
Tik Tok Vertical Timeline Tool
Adioma
Great static graphics in this free, browser-based tool.
LocalFocus
Upload data and build charts in this browser interface.
DataViz.org
Drupal-based embeddable modules.
Nivo
Cool data viz tool.
Sketchwow
Build diagrams and charts. Costs $50.
Chartblocks
Versatile platform for infographics.
Datavisual
Alternative tool for data graphics.
Spicynodes
Interactive concept for layered information.
Genial.ly
Create charts, infographics, timelines, presentations and more. Set up a free account in seconds
Bstreams.io
An easy-to-use data visualization and analysis tool that helps you manage and enrich your data and create effective charts in minutes. No coding required.
Dataherald
Dataherald is a self-serve data visualization software that creates localized and ready-to-use data visualizations for a variety of storylines. Journalists can copy/paste the code to where they want the visualization to appear in the article. Dataherald comes preloaded with data that auto-updates and there is no coding or technical skills required.
Tableau Public: Watch this training video playlist to learn how to build a COVID-19 dashboard in Tableau and add a filter. For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
DataMade Tools
Chicago-based company has free census tools, data cleaning tools, data process guidelines, etc.
NICAR 22 Tools
Great list of data journalism data-driven journalism resources on Excel, Rstats, Python, Javascript, Github and more from the #NICAR22 conference. Compiled by Sharon Machlis.
RAWGraphs.io
The missing link between spreadsheets and data viz.
Berkeley Advanced Media Institute: Using Color in Data Visualization
Color in Data Visualization: Why Less is More
From Toward Data Science.
Plot.ly
Build interactive data visualizations and dashboards for the web.
Flot
Create interactive charts with a Javascript library.
Visme
Browser-based infographic-making tool.
Everviz
Create and publish interactive, branded and responsive data visualizations for engaging visual storytelling. Used by newsrooms over the world. Powerful built-in accessibility support to reach out to an even bigger audience.
Vega Data Visualization Program
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
Storyline
This Knight Lab tool from Northwestern University lets you build annotations on time series line charts.
Timeline JS
Free, open-source tool helps you build interactive timelines.
Meta-Chart
Quickly make charts, graphs, etc.
Projector
Design tool for social media posts, slides, infographics and other visual elements.
Figma
Figma helps teams create, test, and ship better designs from start to finish.
Sketch
Create, prototype, collaborate, and bring your ideas to life with the design platform used by over one million people — from freelancers, to the world’s largest teams.
Chartist
Simple responsive charts. Will change the way the data is displayed based on the size screen it’s being viewed on.
Kumu.io
Kumu makes it easy to organize complex data into relationship maps that are beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. Pricing starts at $9 per project up to a pricier enterprise package.
Sprites Infographic Tool
Free tools for creating animated infographics.
UnDraw.co
Find free illustrations
Mode
Allows you to reverse engineer analysis/visualizations in order to potentially take them in new directions.
Google: The Common Knowledge Project
Explore, visualize, and share data about important issues in your local community. Create your own chart from billions of public data points.
Google: Pinpoint
Explore and analyze large collections of documents. It’s easy and free.
Chartbuilder
From Quartz, a simple, browser-based chart tool.
Perspective
Perspective is an open source, interactive analytics and data visualization tool well-suited for large and/or streaming datasets. Use it to create user-configurable reports, dashboards, notebooks and applications, then deploy stand-alone in the browser, or in concert with Python and/or Jupyterlab.
Jitter.video
Create simple motion graphics in this browser-based tool. Good for story posts and social media.
APM Research Lab: Voter Profile Tools
The latest available data on the demographic and economic characteristics of the potential electorate—from education and poverty levels, to racial and immigrant make-up, and much more.
Interact
Build visual quizzes.
Grid
Use spreadsheets to build cool charts.
Humaans
Create royalty-free illustrations with a variety of skin tones, body types and backgrounds.
AxisJS
Angular-based charting framework. a live-updating webapp enabling the creation of basic charts from spreadsheet data. Charts can currently be saved in SVG or PNG. Via aendrew.tumblr.com.
Twitter “Everyday Moments” Advertising Tool
Moodboard
Create simple moodboards.
Excalidraw
Free drawing tool that lets you build cool charts.
AM Charts and Maps
Build great data visualizations with Javascript.
Diagrams.net
Good for building flowcharts and other basic graphics and static charts.
AwesomeTable
Build searchable databases and embedded tables.
Stacker
Build searchable databases and embedded tables.
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
The Open Notebook Tipsheet: Designing Science Graphics
Shapography
Show your data in glyphs with this tool.
Creately
Build collaborative flowcharts and graphics.
FourScore
Tool to graph reader sentiment.
Chart.js
Simple, clean and engaging charts for designers and developers.
Visage
Build cool interactive charts.
Raw
Cool data visualization tool. Build in your browser.
Beautiful News Daily
Collection of uplifting charts and visualizations. In a bad mood? Check these out.
Github Data Visualization Tools Collection
Swarmize
A data viz development platform.
MobileV.is
Tool for building data visualizations on mobile.
Docubase Storytelling Tools
Resources from MIT.
PBS MediaShift: Data Storytelling to Engage Readers
Visual.ly
Another cool infographic, browser-based tool.
VennGage
Build infographics and simple charts. Combines some of the elements of Datawrapper and infogr.am.
Piktochart
Build cool infographics from templates. Allows for some interactive embeds. Good teaching tool.
Canvas JS
Build HTML 5 and JavaScript charts.
Forio Contour
Build interactive Javascript charts.
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
Glitch
A good tool for managing data journalism projects.
Tablesaw: Build Responsive Tables
Odyssey.js
Platform to build interactive stories.
Tiki-Toki
Build cool timelines. In 3D!
Lyra
Visualization tool without code.
Captricity
A low-cost data crunching tool that can be used to cheaply process paper forms into digital data.
TechanJs
Visual, technical analysis and charting library built on D3.
Datavisu.al
Charts and graphs. Templates or start from scratch
Domo
A more advanced business tool for creating mobile visualizations.
Dundas
Interactive visualization tool.
Meograph
Create 3D animations.
International Journalists’ Network: Tips to Make Your Visual Journalism More Accessible
Visualize Free
Upload a data set from a spreadsheet to this free tool for charts, maps, diagrams, etc with a drag and drop designer.
Raw Graphs
Static visualization creation tool.
Knight Lab Tools Page
Links to current tools along with those in beta. Tools like StoryMap, Timeline JS, Juxtapose and more.
Tableizer
Turning a spreadsheet into an HTML table.
DataTables.net
Add search functionality to an HTML table.
For more training videos, visit our YouTube page.
Paul Bradshaw: Angles for Your Next Data Story
FastCharts
Build simple charts with this free, static, browser-based tool from Financial Times.
MindNode
Mind-mapping data viz tool.
The Next Web: The 14 Best Data Visualization Tools
SocialExplorer
Build maps, data viz and charts using this tool. Has some data sets built into it.
Google Data GIF Maker
Use animation to show percentages, Trends breakdowns, etc. Export as high or low-res. Great for attaching to social media posts.
Textures.js
SVG patterns for data visualization projects.
ZingChart
Create Javascript charts.
Google AutoDraw
Draw on this interface and Google uses AI and machine learning to create logos and icons. Great for creating your own icons for maps.
TwoTone
Datavized and supported by the Google News Initiative, is a straightforward tool to sonify a dataset. Upload your data, select the metric, speed, and instrument, and you get a tune output.
Global Investigative Journalism Network: Data Journalism Tools
A comprehensive list of data tools.
Free or cheap data tools for newsrooms
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