Infographics Contest: Land a Jumbo Jet with Nigel Holmes

The folks at Lonely Planet are publishing ‘How to Land a Jumbo Jet,’ which they describe as a “visual guide to the world - a collection of cultural and travel-inspired infographics and visualisations of all kinds.”

And they want you to be in it. They are asking for submissions of ideas for visualizations from which they will commission content for the book.

Okay, there are plenty of infographics “contests” out there which are usually nothing more than clever, but thinly disguised attempts at getting free content from eager, creative, workaholics. But this is the real deal. The selected work will not end up on a web gallery, but printed on a full spread in a published book.

You will be paid for material to be published, and directed through the development and production of the graphic by infographics guru, Nigel Holmes. Getting paid to have Nigel work with you—I don’t think you can do any better than that.

Here's what they're looking for:

We want infographics that illuminate, entertain and inform. We want them to be great examples of information design, and we want the information in them to be true and for them to have a good degree of integrity. That doesn't mean they can't be light-hearted though!

They don't need to be about travel per se, they just need to provide an insight into the world from the perspective of a traveller. So it's not just a case of planes, trains & automobiles ... (Though it could be!)

How to submit an entry:

If you have an idea that you think would make a great infographic or visualisation for our book, read this section on submitting an idea, then simply email us with your submission.

Your idea doesn't haven't to be complete - sketches, mock-ups or even a written pitch for your concept are fine, just make sure you've read the project terms.

Start thinking!

Not sure what to create your graphic about?
-Visualise cultural faux pas for a particular country
-Show classic souvenirs from around the world
-Compare the popularity of chilli in a local cuisine with the happiness index of that culture.
-How about a world map featuring hotspots of tourism activity at Christmas time
Check out this infographic from David McCandless on reducing your odds of dying in a plane crash.

Stay tuned, my next post will be some visual inspiration for all info-jetsetters ...

Good Luck!

State of the Union?

I guess we'll find out tonight.

A New Map of America
Dissected for the Instruction of Youth in Geography, 1814


Dissected outline map, United States of America, 1880

Clemens' Silent Teacher
Dissected Map of the United States
and of Each State in Counties, 1893

Sources: BibliOdyssey, David Rumsey Collection

Do You Know Where You Are?

It’s Geography Awareness Week and to celebrate, National Geographic has invited all 100 U.S. Senators to draw a map of their home state from memory. The contest was inspired by Senator Al Franken’s performance at the Minnesota State Fair, where he drew the entire map of the U.S. freehand. So far, Senators of only 11 states have risen to the challenge.

Which is really too bad, since Geography is in serious need of awareness in this country.

The 1987 Joint Resolution establishing Geography Awareness Week reported that “20 percent of American elementary school students asked to locate the United States on a world map placed it in Brazil” and “95 percent of American college freshmen tested could not locate Vietnam on a world map …”

The continuing trend of geographic illiteracy was confirmed in 2002, when Americans age 18-24 scored second to last of nine countries in a National Geographic/Roper survey. That’s when it was revealed that 11% of U.S. citizens interviewed couldn't locate the U.S. on a map and almost a third couldn’t identify the Pacific Ocean.

The most recent survey, in 2006, reported that “… results show cause for concern.  Six in ten (63%) cannot find Iraq on a map of the Middle East, despite near-constant news coverage since the U.S. invasion of March 2003.”

Senator Franken's impressive freehand map-drawing skills, got me thinking about the gorgeous antique globes covered in slate like this one at the Paris Hotel Boutique. These late 19th –early 20th century classroom fixtures were used to teach geography and geometry. I came across a brochure from globe producer, A.J. Nystrom & Co. of Chicago, and here’s how they described the product’s value.

Most phases of Geography and Spherical Geometry may be presented more clearly, and their truths more permanently impressed in the pupils’ minds with the aid of a slated globe. The actual use of the chalk or slate pencil by pupils on the globe takes advantage of the strong memory value of muscular action.

To be sure, the “memory value of muscular action” is something we’ll never get from Google Maps or from an iPhone app. Which makes me think that maybe what’s really needed in this country to get back to Geographic Awareness, is a clean slate.

Here’s a DIY version using chalkboard paint.