Blog Post 3: From the Web
These data visualizations of tennis game scores are an innovative way to connect fans of tennis to each of the games’ statistics, content, and information that might otherwise be overlooked or gone unconsidered. A tennis fan might only want to know the outcome of a particular match, i.e. the final score. But IBM found a way to make this experience interactive and gave users the ability to learn more and engage with their favorite tennis players by providing content that can be absorbed and comprehended in a deeper manner than simply being consumed.
The way in which this information is dispersed is through the use of social media, specifically through Instagram. Tennis lovers can follow IBM Sports on Instagram and receive up-to-date information and animated statistics directly in their instagram feed. Instead of having to search the web for this information, tennis fans can simply open up the instagram app and see the results in their feed.
Although the animations themselves are short, ranging from about 6 to 10 seconds each, it provides users with the necessary information before/after each match that would otherwise be announced on loudspeaker at the games themselves or broadcast on-air, spoken verbally and probably not displayed in a visual manner. That is where these “datagrams,” as they are so called by IBM, are the key to engagement and interactivity with the audience because this same information, but in a form that is visually interesting.
While tennis may not be my sport of preference, I can see these datagrams being applied to more commonly known events, one of which is known worldwide and is coming up this Friday! If animated statistics like these were applied to the Winter Olympics, this would be a great way to keep up with all my favorite events. I could see each athletic event owning its own Instagram account with its own team of data visualizers and analytics maintaining these accounts as each event is happening. This way, if I had a spare moment I would be able to check the stats on Instagram and get this information immediately without having to waste too much time searching for the right event. The way in which IBM’s datagrams are delivered streamlines this process and brings relevant information into the hands of users in an instant, which is why social media can be a powerful tool in today’s world of communication and information sharing.
