Helmets - their kinds and development during the centuries

HELMETS is a full-page diagram from my forthcoming book Info We Trust, How to create value with data graphics. Reserve your copy of this spectacular volume, coming this fall, at Visionary Press.

The book uses this diagram as an introduction to data storytelling:

This design is based on a century-old graphic by Bashford Dean, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s arms and armor collection. It is an elegant and effective composition because it features engaging depictions, a strong conceptual map, and enough marks (the helmets) to inspire confidence in the information. A tree with only eight helmets, each represented simply by a labeled circle, would not resonate with the same power.

At a glance, the composition conveys that the topic is the age of knights. The dots linking the helmets suggest a logical relationship between them. Closer inspection reveals that connected helmets look like each other. The graphic’s branched structure resembles a biological evolutionary tree. Helmets reminds me that technology also morphs over time.

The helmets open a door to the history of armor, a field I had not considered much before seeing this graphic. Now, I wonder if the helmets changed due to new weapons, advances in metalworking, or changing fashion. How did helmets from outside Europe influence this evolution? Did variation result from countless warriors customizing their own gear, or from the designs of a few centralized armorers? How did helmets continue evolving toward those used by today’s soldiers, builders, and athletes? Plenty of keywords in the graphic provide opportunities to search and learn more.

The knowledge, creativity, and skill it took to produce this work are almost beyond comprehension. To complete data-driven hero cycles you must bridge fields that are far apart. You will need to study both hard and soft sciences, as well as the visual and communication arts. Any of these alone may not be enough to seize and deliver the treasure. History is filled with facts and figures that failed to convey understanding.

See more about INFO WE TRUST and reserve your copy of this spectacular volume coming this fall at Visionary Press.