The point of information graphics is to present ideas or patterns in a way that provides a viewer insight in a new context. These are very important in the web age as people scan web pages and rarely stop to read large chunks of text. It is easier to present ideas in visual forms.

Smashing Magazine has compiled a nice set of information visualization projects that make best use of this medium. The list ranges from sarcastic to the sublime to serious. Here is a small taste of what you’ll find:

Gregory Dizzia’s: Intimate Relationship History

Middle-East: who backs immediate cease-fire?

Female vs. Male Leaders