Storytelling

Flourish: An Interactive Data Storytelling Platform

Introduction Data visualization is a powerful means of communicating information. However, static charts alone sometimes struggle to effectively convey temporal changes or complex stories. Flourish is a platform that enables data storytelling through animation and interaction. It makes it easy to create dynamic visualizations such as race charts (bar chart races) and animated maps. It is used by organizations including BBC, Google, and the World Bank, and offers a free plan. ...

March 15, 2026 · 3 min · Nakamura

TimelineJS: Create Interactive Timelines from Spreadsheets

Introduction Timelines are one of the most effective ways to communicate the flow of historical events or the progression of a project. However, creating visually appealing interactive timelines typically requires programming knowledge. TimelineJS is an open-source timeline creation tool developed by the Knight Lab at Northwestern University. Simply enter data into a Google Spreadsheet to automatically generate beautiful, interactive timelines. It is licensed under MPL-2.0 and free to use. Features of TimelineJS 1. No Programming Required TimelineJS’s greatest appeal is the ability to create timelines without writing any code. Simply enter data into the Google Spreadsheet template provided by Knight Lab, configure sharing settings, and you’re done. ...

March 15, 2026 · 3 min · Nakamura