I'm sure you've already heard yesterday's news: 2014 was the hottest recorded year on Earth. And I'm sure you've seen the attention-grabbing maps and graphs associated with this news flash, too. But did you pay attention to which were the most accurate - or just the ones that looked the prettiest? Let's take a closer look at some here. Creating a useful graphic of any kind is both an art and a science.

I've heard some say infographics have become all the rage these days. I've heard others say they think their heyday was a couple years ago. Personally, I think the age of infographics is just beginning. They've been around for centuries, but the information age has finally catapulted them into our common vernacular. As any good designer should, I've spent some time asking myself: what exactly makes an infographic not only good but great?