Early Scientific Visualisation

 Power of Data Visualisation

This early diagram by Florence Nightingale is a perfect example early data visualization. The impact of this diagram comes from the shapes and subtle colours used, the alternating size of shapes gives little consistency but strong structure. The digram displays mortality rates during Crimean War. More specifically it shows the causes of mortality. The red in the centre shows wounds and the blue on the outside shows preventable diseases aquired in hospitals. The right diagram shows mortality rates from 1854-1855 whereas on the left it is 1855-1856 when health and sanitation had been increased and shows the decline in deaths. Showing it in the format of the 2 circles also decreases the amount of space used and in turn helps it to create more impact. That displaying something rather complicated in such a clear and consise way hadnt been seen before and "Is truly of those diagrams that has actually changed the world, its changed science, its changed the way in which things were done"