Eleanor Lutz on the Infographic Wizardry of Tabletop Whale
For December’s infographic, Eleanor Lutz of Tabletop Whale animated the nuts and bolts of building a human. And no, not those nuts and bolts.
Based in Seattle, Tabletop Whale publishes a new science-related chart, illustration, or infographic every two to three weeks. The embryogenesis graphic is made up of about 400 sketches. It maps the human embryo and fetus development all the way from fertilization until birth and still manages to be easily viewable in one window on your computer screen. Other topics covered recently include the wingbeat paths of five different flying creatures, the parts required to put together your own computer, and an animated chart of 42 North American butterflies. Tabletop Whale approaches communicating technical information in a refreshing and exciting way, digesting the stodgy science textbook into a visual that is still detailed and informative.
We were curious to find out more about Tabletop Whale, so we chatted with its creator and infographic mastermind Eleanor Lutz.
Paste: If you ran into someone in an elevator and wanted to give them the pitch of a lifetime, how would you describe Tabletop Whale?
Eleanor Lutz: I would probably just describe it as my science infographic blog. Tabletop Whale is a personal blog where I put up whatever I feel like working on, so it’s not really a huge company idea or anything like that!
Paste: What’s the story behind the name “Tabletop Whale?” That one sticks with ya.
EL: Well, XBox live has a function where they suggest random screen names for you when you first get your account. It suggested “Tabletop Whale” to my boyfriend when he first got his Xbox, and I thought the name was awesome so I asked him if I could use it.
Paste: Tell us a little about your background. Were there folks along the way that led you to the work you do now?
EL: I always loved drawing growing up, and biology was my favorite subject all through middle and high school. All of the awesome science teachers I had as a kid were probably the reason why I ended up getting a degree in biology.
Detail from Flight Videos Deconstructed
Paste: Having studied molecular biology at the University of Washington, how has your coursework influenced your work in design?
