Visionaries is alive!

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Hello. It’s great to see you again.

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? As my career matures, my ambitions grow. It has become difficult to provide regular and meaningful updates beyond promisingsoon soon soon.

There’s no need to punt any longer. I have a lot of great news to share with you. Let’s go!

My latest book project, a three-book celebration of spectacular data work, is alive.

Five years in the making,Visionariesis the product of an international team of experts and artisans. Hundreds of books are now in European reader hands (we printed in Italy). 11,000 pounds more are being unloaded this week at our United States facility for fulfillment worldwide. Everyone who placed preorders should expect tracking details soon.

The books are spectacular—a creative triumph! Holding them for the first time, my delight was how fine their bindings open. Early readers have marveled at their physicality: The size. The feel of the paper. The shimmer of the debossed foil. The audacious foldouts. The smell!

We pre-sold thousands of books, and printed thousands more for the holiday season. I appreciate all of your enthusiasm that helped make these books come true. Please consider gifting these books, as a set or a single volume,by ordering directly from Visionary Press:

These books are packed with insight and inspiration. From text to images to binding, you will not find better quality across today’s publishing. If it’s not already on its way to your shelf, you might consider treating yourself too.

I am beginning to do press forVisionaries: interviews, podcasts, and a few live events.

???????? Join me in London November 30 (in real life!) at the Florence Nightingale Museum for the launch ofFlorence Nightingale, Mortality and Health Diagrams.Please message me directly if you intend to attend.Event details

???????? On November 29 I am keynoting Tableau’s VizIt London event. (I’m told there is already a waiting list, so I look forward to seeing many of you there.)Event details

???? Tune in November 16 to watch me discussVisionarieson Chart Chat Live with Jeffrey Shaffer, Steve Wexler, Andy Cotgreave, and Amanda Makulec.Event details

???? I am considering hosting an event in San Francisco in early winter to help celebrate our new books (and perhaps reconvene our data visualization community). Please message me directly to be put on alert for that.

These publishing exploits are made possible with subsidy from my data-storytelling consulting practice. Pandemic projects have been interesting.

In early 2020, I joined the U.S. federal government as an FDA staff expert to help our nation combat the emerging crisis. I led a talented team to assemble data about emerging tools to fight Covid-19, and designed graphic reporting that went to the White House every night. Seven days a week, across both presidential administrations, we sent graphics on emerging diagnostics, therapeutics, biologics, and vaccines. It was the most high-pressure charting experience of my career.

Since leaving pandemic work in late 2021 (and completing my editing ofVisionaries), I have concentrated on two types of client projects. One type identifies and implements visual language and metaphors to help clients with a variety of high-stakes situations. The other work stream has focused on creating data visualization design systems.

I am actively scheduling 2023 and appreciate your introduction to my next favorite client.

I have reclaimed all rights to my first book,Info We Trust, with intention to publish its next edition with Visionary Press.

I’m delighted by the opportunity to bringInfo We Trustto the world, again. This time with full creative control. I hope to (1) produce an affordable softcover that executes the book’s original color design, which the first edition lacked, and (2) create a digital version that can be accessed for free to those who need that. Together, that’s ambitious.

I know that so many of you, like me, love that book. I am interested in hearing your ideas about how it could fit into the 2023 landscape.

I am always tinkering with charts. For the last while I have been obsessed with executing deceptively simple chart forms extraordinarily well. As part of that journey I have coded digital impressions of some historic bar charts and line graphs that I find spectacular. You can see them all and read a little commentary atmy website.

You may have noticed that I’m trying a different newsletter client. The domain changes but the song remains the same.

I activated Substack’s feature for you to contribute to my public evangelism of analyzing and producing exceptional data storytelling. Click the button below to subscribe with a lump contribution or monthly subscription:

I believe it is important to keep being cheerful and constructive on the Internet. In many ways it is more important than ever that we do so. I appreciate you all for coming along for the ride.