Deforestation+and+Carbon

Data Research
http://forestry.about.com/library/tree/blwrldx.htm Map showing the different forest types of the world.

http://green.nationalgeographic.co.uk/science/environment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive.html?nav=FEATURES Map showing the effects of global warming.

http://www.mongabay.com/deforestation.htm Data chart showing lots of data by continent and countries such as deforestation rate, total forest area, etc. Very thorough - used it as the basis of my project.

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/iadv/ Graphs of carbon presence in the atmosphere as observed in Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii in the United States.

Visual Research
http://www.brendandawes.com/code/headshop Great place for snippets of flash code to play around with.

http://www.kirupa.com/developer/actionscript/random_motion.htm Tutorial on random motion in Flash.

http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/strategies/art21202.html An interactive map on climate change and biodiversity.

http://infosthetics.com/ Professional, well designed information graphics - great source of inspiration. (Also intimidating.)

http://www.thesheepmarket.com/ Entertaining collection of sheep. Interesting way to present a collection - thumbnails that can be magnified, and loaded into a larger screen when clicked.

http://nexus.ludios.net/view/demo/?dark=0&zoom=1000 Visually interesting way to depict a network of friends on facebook. However, it employs bad typography.

http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2008/elasticmind/ MoMA exhibition website on design and design thinking: Design and the Elastic Mind. Clean, visually dynamic website presentation in Flash. Amazing inspirational source.

http://feltron.com/ Print based inforgraphics. Covers a single topic and exploring components of it through infographics through a book. Not interactive, but still, very well designed, very clear.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/02/25/science/earth/20080225_COAST_GRAPHIC.html#tab6 A more simple inforgraphic showing human impact on the world's oceans. Good starting point for looking at infographics that aren't as complicated. Not as visually interesting, but it makes sense.

Rationale
Forests decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere by sequestering excess carbon and storing in their biomass, deadwood, litter and soil. They act as a carbon sink, storing as much as one trillion tons of carbon. The destruction of these forest areas negatively affect their holding capacity. The processes involved in deforestation such as harvesting, transportation, and manufacturing all release carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. This devastating practice releases two billion tons of carbon each year, accounting for nearly 25 percent of all man-made emissions of carbon dioxide. This infographic explores the relationship between carbon in the atmosphere and the deforestation rate per continent, tracking the changes over a span of one hundred years.

Concepts
sitemap diagrams

organizing, paring down data

interface brainstorming





Interface Development
digital sketches of tree types, ground

sketching the movement of the trees media type="file" key="lx_0.swf"

animating tree growth on the ground media type="file" key="lx_1.swf"

distinguishing trees into 5 different colors, for each area, and placing their growth. media type="file" key="lx_4.swf"

incorporating timeline, animating deforestation over time, added carbon presence in the atmosphere, and the beginnings of a legend

media type="file" key="lx_6.swf"

changed colors of ground for clearer communication (relating it to the division of trees), lightened carbon elements in earlier years, darkening them as time goes one, refined timing of elements, spacing, typography, added an introduction media type="file" key="lx_10.swf"

Final
media type="file" key="lx_11.swf"