SXSW has officially come and gone and life is finally easing back into normality. I think all of Austin is letting out a giant sigh of relief. It was another solid year and in terms of the Interactive conference, there are definitely a few bits to pass along. To start things off – Interactive Infographics.

One of the panelist in this session said this about infographics, and I think it sums them up beautifully – “Let the data do the talking.” They advised to always ask yourself the question, “What are we trying to answer?” and go from there. The data will say it all.

If you’re a reader of GOOD magazine or The New York Times, it’s likely you’ve come across some of the impressive examples that were presented in this panel. Below are a few of my favorites, and you’ll see that the data does in fact do the talking.

How Different Groups Spend Their Day – The New York Times

This infographic allows you to compare how different segments of the American population spend their time each day. Some of the larger categories include eating, working, household activities, traveling and TV. Below you can see the increased amount of time older Americans spend watching TV compared to the younger (those under 65). It’s pretty fun to play with.

Girl Power – GOOD magazine

GOOD magazine created this infographic in 2007 to look at gender imbalance among the world’s leaders. The grid is composed of various female leaders’ faces and each cell represents 1 million people governed. Shortly after GOOD created this infographic, Pratibha Patil was elected in India and a reader created a “revised” version – pretty funny.

The Hidden Cost of War – GOOD magazine

And lastly, infographics can come in video form as shown in this animation GOOD created in 2008. They estimate the cost of the War in Iraq and then walk you through how they came up with that number through a series of beautifully designed graphics. It’s pretty interesting/scary to see how it adds up.