The Client Goal
In 2007 the Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) released the Puget Sound Tech Universe, a visualization that depicted the Greater Seattle tech scene as a broad universe with major hubs like Microsoft acting as suns and the companies spawned by these hubs as planets surrounding them. The initial graphic was the culmination of years of research combined with a visualization set to connect the dots to show how each company in the region was connected. Nearly 10 years later, it was time to update the design while taking into account new companies on the scene, acquisitions, and shifts in each major hub.
The Solution
The WTIA partnered with Madrona Venture Group to combine resources and build a new data set. They first approached Killer separately in 2013 and again in 2014 while trying to determine what was needed to compile the necessary research and visualize the information in a new and exciting way. In 2015 they began their efforts, working with a myriad of experts in the scene to identify a criteria for companies to make the list and then find every possible way these companies connected with one another. This 8 month process paid off and in the Fall of 2015 the data was ready.
Our team at Killer began by organizing the data into clusters that would help us best visualize the information while still showing relevant acquisitions, parent companies, multi-parent companies, and more. From there, it was important to create a detailed wireframe that organized each tech hub into constellations. This wireframe was then scrutinized heavily by industry experts to ensure all of the data was accurate. After multiple revisions, we were able to take the next step and bring this data to life by creating The Seattle Tech Universe poster.
The poster is step one in the process of visualizing this information. It will soon become a living data set where eligible companies can be added with ease, ensuring that the Greater Seattle Area can always take pride in its growing tech scene.
- B2B Content Marketing
- B2B Marketing Infographics
- Graphic Design for Seattle & Pacific Northwest Businesses
- Visual Marketing for Technology Companies
