​

https://apps.npr.org/2024-election-results/

Hi everyone, I’m new at my job and have to great a PowerPoint to show trend analysis, the timeline is very short and I need to get it done asap. Kindly help with ideas

Hey! I'm looking for a way to make piecharts with gradient colours. I use Canva for work, and realised they don't have that option! What program can I use? I'm not overly techy and it needs to be free or have a free trial period at least. Please help!

A family member of mine just moved to Maryland after buying their first house, so I want to give them a gift of a map of the state, or possibly the larger DC area. I've been able to find some that get pretty close, and I'll link them below, but nothing perfect yet. Doesn't have to be free, just let me know what you guys have

Close from YellowMaps: https://www.yellowmaps.com/maps/img/US/elevation/Maryland-elevation-map-149.jpg
And quite close from NationsOnline https://www.nationsonline.org/maps/USA/Maryland-topographic-map.jpg

I have tried out various tools, softwares and programming languages to make graphs in the last few years, but I am yet to find a solution I want to stick with. So here I am wondering what do others use. Why? Do you pay for it? If so, how much?

Hey everyone,

TLDR; How can we visualize exponential data points on a linear scale so that an audience unfamiliar with logarithms and exponents can comprehend the vast scale being discussed?

Problem with Exponential Scale

For example, take numbers like billion (10⁹), trillion (10¹²), and quadrillion (10¹⁵). The scale isn't intuitive. One may think that the value difference between billion and trillion is the same as that of trillion and quadrillion (you know, because 12-9=3 and 15-12=3). We know this isn't true. The scale isn't intuitive.

Sure, these scales make numbers easier to express and communicate, but they can be really tricky to comprehend.

Problem with Linear Scale

Plotting these numbers on a linear scale doesn’t work. The graph shoots up dramatically near the highest values, and all the smaller points seem to disappear, leaving the whole thing looking lopsided and unhelpful.

In theory, I know that logarithmic or exponential scales exist to address this issue, but they still aren’t intuitive to many people—myself included. It feels like using a log scale helps mathematically, but it doesn’t solve the underlying issue of comprehension.

Possible Solutions I’ve Thought Of

I’ve been brainstorming ways to make these kinds of data points more understandable, but I’m not sure which direction to take:

• 3D Visualization
  • One idea I had was to try visualizing the data in three dimensions. Maybe adding another axis or perspective could give the data more context, but I’m not sure how to execute this idea in a way that makes sense. I could really use suggestions on this!
• Relating Numbers to Everyday Concepts
  • Another thought is to make the data more relatable. For example, while large numbers like billions and trillions are abstract, people generally understand scales they encounter in daily life (like the size of a football field or the distance between cities). Maybe there’s a way to link the data to something more familiar to bridge the comprehension gap.

I’ve also been thinking about those awesome size-comparison videos, where they start with something small, like a person, and gradually zoom out to show the largest known objects in the universe. That progressive comparison helps build an intuitive sense of scale. Maybe a similar approach could work for data visualization, but I’m not sure how to apply it here.

What Do You Think?

I’d really appreciate any advice or recommendations. Have you encountered a similar problem with visualizing exponential data? What solutions have you tried, and what worked or didn’t work?

Thanks in advance for your input!