Andy Kirk & Edward Lee, from VisualisingData.com & Visualizing.org

This month's program brings us speakers from two important fixtures of the Data Visualization web: Edward Lee of Visualizing.org (http://visualizing.org/); and Andy Kirk, whose many projects include the well-known blog VisualisingData.com (http://www.visualisingdata.com/). We're proud to have them. Don't miss it!

(Additional lightning-talks / short presentations are yet to be announced. Please contact us if you'd like to contribute.)

About the Talks & Speakers

Visualizing.org (http://visualizing.org/) is a community of creative people making sense of complex issues through data and design, and a shared space and free resource to help practitioners achieve this goal. Their mission is to help make data visualization figure more prominently across the web as a way of understanding complex world issues... as they unfold. It is one of the many excellent projects associated with Seed Media Group, which includes Seed Magazine (http://seedmagazine.com/) and ScienceBlogs.com (http://scienceblogs.com/).

Edward is a product manager at Seed Scientific, which runs Visualizing.org (http://visualizing.org/). Edward will discuss the process and outcomes from the data visualization competitions (challenges, sprints, and marathons) held by Visualizing.org (http://visualizing.org/), looking closely at the submissions from some recent challenges.

Andy Kirk is a UK-based freelance data visualisation architect, consultant, training provider, author, and editor of the website visualisingdata.com (http://www.visualisingdata.com/), a popular data visualisation blog. Andy will deliver a talk entitled, 'Opposites Attract: The Art and Science of Data Visualisation'.

After graduating from Lancaster University in 1999 with a B.Sc (hons) in Operational Research, he held a number of business analysis and information management positions at some of the largest organisations in the UK.

Late 2006 provided Andy with his career-changing ‘eureka’ moment when he discovered the subject of data visualisation. He has subsequently pursued a passion in this subject, completing a research Masters M.A (With Distinction) at the University of Leeds in 2009.

In February 2010 he launched visualisingdata.com (http://www.visualisingdata.com/) with the mission of providing readers with inspiring insights into the contemporary techniques, resources, applications and best practices in this exciting subject. His consultancy work and training courses extend this ambition, helping organisations of all shapes, sizes and domains master the analysis and communication of their data. Some of his most recent clients include Microsoft, Disney, Intel and McKinsey.

Andy has just released his first book, entitled “Data Visualization: a successful design process (http://www.visualisingdata.com/index.php/book/)”, a handy strategy guide for anyone facing the challenges of designing a data visualization and wanting to accomplish an effective solution in the most efficient way.

About the Event

As usual, we'll start refreshments at 6:30pm with time to network, catch up and meet new people with interests in data visualization. The formal presentations will begin around 7:00pm and there will be time for Q&A afterwards. So please join us for these excellent presentations, the best DataViz networking in New York, and some light refreshments.

Please note: only those with confirmed RSVP's will be able to attend, because of security requirements at the space that generously hosts & sponsors us. Reservations close at 5:00pm. If you aren't able to get a slot by then, we apologize, but you won't be able to enter the building. For this reason, we've expanded the number of RSVP's we accept, to account for no-shows and to make sure we fill as many of our seats as possible. Thanks for understanding, and see you there!

-Paul & Christian