Simplifying Concepts through Visualization

I came across a very compelling compilation of online visualization tools this morning that I just had to share.

If you are someone who has the need to communicate complex ideas to people who may not have as strong an understanding of your subject matter as you do, then this is one of those lists that you will want to bookmark for future reference.

Sarah Perez (who also happens to be from Tampa) and now writes for ReadWriteWeb, posted this assemblage yesterday, which includes tools for visualizing and mapping social networks, text articles, videos, music, product catalogs, photo images and other data elements.

As someone faced with opportunities to present plans for technology investment opportunities to investors who may not possess the highest level of understanding for web based services or concepts like Internet marketing, I can see how several of these tools could provide a boost to several of my presentations and business plans.

Not all of the resources mentioned in the article were business focused, actually, most of them were not.

One of the coolest visualization tools that I took for a test drive today was the Friends Sociomap (integrated into Last.fm), which generates a map of the music compatibility between you and your Last.fm friends. You need to have a [free] Last.fm account to test this one out as well as friends on the Last.fm network to map to. If you are not a Last.fm user, here is a really cool demo that illustrates how it works.

Visualization is not by any means a new concept, but the tools out there for helping us to look at things in new ways and deliver a new understanding of their dynamics continue to blow my mind. Having had a few years experience in the medical imaging and visualization field and seeing what is happening now as well as gaining exposure to new developments only helps to heighten the excitement that I feel for what the future holds.