I found this video the other day and I was amazed by it. It is a very concise and thorough explanation of the credit crisis in a graphic form. It runs about 11 minutes long but I really enjoyed it.
The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.
I think that this approach has a lot of merit.
The video was created by Jonathan Jarvis. You can see more of his work at his website. He describes the Credit Crisis video this way,
The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. This project was completed as part of my thesis work in the Media Design Program, a graduate studio at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. For more on my broader thesis work exploring the use of new media to make sense of a increasingly complex world.
I often meet people who are frustrated by the credit crisis but lack an understanding of it. I point them to various articles I have read, but no single article presents a short, coherent picture of the whole mess. This video can be a valuable informative tool for those who unfamiliar with the problem. I think that a visual representation is a far more powerful medium to instruct people who are just looking for a basic understanding. I particularly enjoy the imagery of all the parts of the financial system holding on to time bombs that explode simultaneously.
If you like it show it around, it could be a great awareness creation tool. In the end, I think Mr. Jarvis created something really cool and I wanted to share it with all of you.
Thanks for reading.