You’ve just spent days refining a visualisation. It’s beautifully crafted, offering both a general overview and category breakdowns. Yet, something’s off. It feels long and clunky. So, you swap it for an animated chart, solving the problem on one screen.
Ah, animation—it’s everywhere. From TikTok reels to Instagram stories, movement dominates the online space. But what does this mean for data visualisation?
Algo.tv has made waves with their animated brand and data designs, and it’s easy to see why. Their work feels like a glimpse into the future of dataviz.
Above ↑ is a snapshot from Bloomberg Coal Countdown by Algo.tv
Yet, not all animated charts have thrived. Remember when bar chart races on Flourish were all the rage, only to get banned from Reddit four years ago?
Above ↑ is an example of the Flourish bar chart race
Reddit might not be the ultimate authority on dataviz, but it raises a crucial question: does animation actually enhance data comprehension? Or is it just a design flourish that sometimes adds more noise than clarity?
Lately, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Remember the example from the beginning? That was about my team’s recent project for ONE Campaign, that was presented the UN General Assembly (no pressure, right!). We initially had an effective scrollytelling piece but scrapped it days before the launch. Here’s what we ended up with:
Above ↑ is the centrepiece visualisation from The Trillions Tracker
How was this solution better than what we previously had? It was more engaging, more concise, and more informative. I believe these are the advantages an animated visualisation can have over a static one in most cases: it introduces surprise, condenses information, and captures attention.
But will animated charts take over? I’m not so sure. While they can be powerful, they’re also resource-heavy. Not every studio or client can afford that level of production. That’s why static visuals and simple interactives—with filters, selectors, and an occasional scrolly—still dominate. The sweet spot might lie in simpler movement like GIFs to balance cost and impact.
If you have great examples of animated charts or see benefits I didn’t mention, let’s chat!
Until then, have a lovely weekend. 🤹🏻
See you in two weeks,
—Evelina
Want to join me for an in-person workshop?
I’m leading several training sessions before the year ends, but only one is open to the public. Join us in Utrecht this November for two days of data storytelling fun! With my online trainings on hold for now, this could be your last chance to attend a public workshop for a while.