Google just launched Data GIF Maker, a data visualization creator in a bid to help journalists share their research and tell stories in a more visual and appealing way, KBC Reports.
The project came out of Google’s News Lab, an initiative to support journalists and storytelling. The lab also created the popular Google Trends project.
To make a data gif with Google’s new tool, simply add two terms, their titles, and an additional description (for our test, we used data from a 2014 study about how people pronounce internet terms):
Right now the tool is very basic and currently supports comparisons between only two data points, meaning it’s not the best fit for complex data and comparisons.
But for simple visualizations, Data Gif Maker is extremely easy to use. By adding some color and animation, journalists can make the research they’re trying to share a lot easier and more pleasant to consume, rather than listing the same information in text.