David McCandless

David McCandless is a London-based author, data journalist and information designer who transforms complex datasets into compelling visual stories that reveal hidden patterns and make insight accessible. As founder of the Information is Beautiful Awards and author of bestselling books including Information Is Beautiful and Knowledge Is Beautiful, his work has reached millions through a TED Global talk with 3.9 million views and collaborations with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and Twitter. David equips audiences with practical tools to create impactful data visuals through sought-after training seminars, helping organisations move beyond spreadsheets to storytelling that influences decisions and engages audiences with clarity and confidence.

When 3.9 million people watch a single TED Global talk, the message has clearly struck a chord. David McCandless delivered that talk on data visualisation, transforming how audiences worldwide think about turning numbers into narratives. The London-based author, data journalist and information designer has built a career on a simple but powerful premise: that complex datasets can become visual stories which reveal hidden patterns, challenge assumptions and make the invisible visible. His work tackles one of the defining challenges of the modern age: helping people navigate information overload and discover meaning in the noise.

David's authority in the field rests on both creative innovation and measurable impact. As founder of the Information is Beautiful Awards, he has championed exceptional data visualisation across sectors and platforms worldwide since 2012, setting industry standards and celebrating work that makes information accessible. His bestselling books, Information Is Beautiful, Knowledge Is Beautiful and Beautiful News, have established him as a leading voice whose influence extends far beyond design circles. David has served as a creative consultant for Apple, Google and Microsoft, teaching his concept and story-driven approach to teams at Salesforce and Twitter. His commercial portfolio spans major organisations including Kantar, Visa, GE and the BBC, whilst his NGO partnerships with the UN, Pew and Friends of the Earth demonstrate his commitment to using visualisation for social impact. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Wired and The Huffington Post, and he has delivered the Bill & Melinda Gates Distinguished Lecture at Cambridge University. He continues to share his expertise at conferences globally, with upcoming keynotes including The PIE Live Europe in March 2026.

David equips audiences with practical tools to create impactful infographics and data visuals through his sought-after training seminars, which regularly sell out across UK, US and Australian time zones. His approach blends lecture, exercises and discussion, enabling participants to immediately apply visual thinking to their own challenges. Whether speaking to corporate teams, university researchers or international conference audiences, David inspires people to see data not as a burden but as an opportunity for discovery. He helps organisations move beyond spreadsheets to storytelling, transforming how they communicate insights, influence decisions and engage their audiences. His work proves that good design is not decoration but a fundamental tool for understanding our increasingly complex world, turning what he calls the "new soil" of data into flowers of understanding that bloom across every sector.