Timeplots recently released its first project, A Visual History of the Supreme Court of the United States. Nicco asked me to say a few words about why I chose to do it.

The answer takes a bit. My interest in information graphics goes back a long way - at least as far as a class I took as an undergraduate at Yale with Edward Tufte, who many will recognize for his fine self-published series of books on the visual display of information. (See edwardtufte.com, for example). Since that time, as a hobby, I've been collecting data graphics across a wide variety of topics - if you visit my office at NGP Software, the company I founded in 1997, you can see quite a number of such posters on the walls, and there are more stacked in map drawers. Anyway

Over the years there have been quite a number of projects of that sort that I wanted to tackle, but always my main occupation got in the way. (www.ngpsoftware.com) But early this year, when Stu Trevelyan assumed the CEO role at NGP, I've had some time to try my hand at a few of my own.

I picked the Supreme Court as the first in a series focusing on political institutions. I enjoy learning about new subjects , collecting data, and the challenge of developing a visualization of which I can be proud, and which I hope that those who follow the subject intensely would want to own for themselves. Collaborations is part and parcel of the project -- I have been able to work with very knowledgeable people - as I did with the Supreme Court poster, where we spoke with a number of eminent political scientists and lawyers with expertise in constitutional law.

If you have even a passing interest in the Supreme Court, you should check out the poster - www.timeplots.com/scotus -- it is designed to give each Justice his or her spot in history, to chart history of the partisan balance on the Court, to place many landmark cases in context, and to help demonstrate each president's relative impact on the Court.

If you find this interesting, pick one up. It takes awhile to get to know, but repays your interest, I believe. I welcome any suggestions or ideas.

Nathaniel Pearlman
President
Timeplots, LLC