We here at the VisualCrew love data visualizations. We love them because we think when they are used creatively they can open up the world of data to  everyone. They make information accessible, and that is a powerful thing.

Stop by the VisualCue office on any given day and you’ll see us passing around our favorite visualizations we’ve found across the internet. We’re always looking for visualizations that are out of the box- something that goes beyond the dashboard into something more unique and, through it’s creativity, meaningful.

Data visualizations can be so good that they can even give you an idea of what to do with a weekend! We’ve gathered some examples of data visualizations that you can use to get inspiration for your day off plans.

A Punny Map

Our first map comes from Atlas Obscura: a map of the punniest business names across the country. The creators went to social media to gather the names and their work was not wasted. We now have this essential resource for whenever you need to find the best names for businesses in all 50 states.

We especially enjoyed Hair Force One salon in Camdenton, MO or the Sodalicious restaurant of Provo, UT. Is there a fun restaurant or salon you’d like to visit?

I mean, come on. That's a great name for a salon.
I mean, come on. That’s a great name for a salon.

 

Worldwide Startups

This map from startupblink.com had us clicking and expanding for days, seeing which startups were in which country and trying to find hidden patterns in which type of startup was most popular in which country or city.

Some made sense, like the high number of education-related startups in large college towns. Others… not so much.

But there were some great ideas for fun companies in our hometown! Can you find anything worth doing near you?

Good ideas all over the world
Good ideas all over the world

One final note- we love how, when you zoom out on one of these maps, the data points aggregate into a circle that tells you how many points are within that region. Not unlike our own map view. Just saying.

If you have a creative visualization you fell in love with tell us in the comments or Tweet it @visualcue.

Until next time have a great weekend out there!

The VisualCrew