A Complete Guide to Creating Animated Information Graphics

From conception, to storyboard, to animating with Maya 3D. Learn to make effective 3D animated information graphics.

This is a two part class.

In part 1 you'll learn how to create information graphics that use data and reveal stories through animation. You'll learn how to go from data/reporting to an engaging and animated information graphic.

What you will learn

An overview of the approach to starting with a set of data and assets
Figuring out the story and whats important or interesting about the data
Creating a hierarchy of interesting elements and an organizational scheme
Writing a script
Creating the final storyboard
We'll also cover things like best practices and some tips to keep in mind as you work on your project.

What you will make

Students will make a storyboard for an animated information graphic.

In part 2 you will get started on how to model, render, animate, and visualize data using the power of 3-dimensional design, and give a foundational overview of the 3D software package, Autodesk Maya. Graham has been using this software to create a wide variety of information design projects at The New York Times, and will relate these skills to work created in the journalism environment and beyond.

What you will learn

The Maya interface
How to model in 3D
How to animate in 3D
How to render in 3D
How to use data in 3D