Hi, I'm Jan Willem,
I create Data Visualizations

Notable talks

Past

TIBCO The Analytics Forum — keynote
Online
2023
DataFest Tblisi
Georgia
2022
OutlierConf
Online
2021
DataVis Camp — keynote
The Netherlands
2020
Indo Data Week — keynote
India
2019
Graphic Hunters S-H-O-W
The Netherlands
2019
Future of Publishing (EU)
Luxembourg
2018
IEEE VIS in Practice
Germany
2018
Data Literacy Conference
France
2018
Open Data Science Conference
UK
2018
OpenVisConf
France
2018
Transimage — keynote
Scotland
2018
DataVizFestival
The Netherlands
2018
EuroPython — keynote
Italy
2017
UN/IFAD Evaluation
Italy
2017
BNO IMG Lab
The Netherlands
2016
Nordic Data Journalism
Finland
2016
Visualized
USA
2015
Visualizing Knowledge
Finland
2015
Big Data for Media
UK
2015
Budapest BI Forum
Hungary
2014
DrupalJam — keynote
The Netherlands
2014
Visualized
USA
2014
Malofiej
Spain
2013
Infographics Congres
The Netherlands
2013

Testimonials

Jan Willem's collaboration with the European Space Agency has been outstanding. His visualisations for our Gaia mission have brought beautiful, educational, and inspiring new dimensions to its quest to reveal the secrets of our Milky Way galaxy, and all in a scientifically-rigorous way. I can't recommend working with Jan Willem highly enough.

Mark McCaughrean - Senior Science Advisor

European Space Agency (ESA)

Working with Jan Willem was very inspiring. After presenting the complexities of the Connectome of the fly brain to him, we asked him to think outside the box and present visualization options that were non-traditional in our field. Jan Willem did not let us down! Collaborating with him gave us more insights about our own data! His visuals spectacularly translate complex content into beautiful art that tells a story. I would not hesitate to work with Jan Willem again for future projects.

Ruchi Parekh - Neuroscientist / Connectome Team Manager

Howard Hugues Medical Institute

After presenting the Dutch Railways (NS) and the direction we wanted to take for our annual report, I asked Jan Willem to think outside the box and be creative. He delivered an incredible designs that exceeded my expectations. If you have the opportunity to work with him, I say go for it! You are guaranteed in an enjoyable and productive experience. He is skilled at what he does, independent and suprises. Thanks again Jan Willem fort his incredible ride.

Gerjan Vasse - Hoofd Content & Creatie

NS - Dutch Railways

Jan Willem is a joy to work with. On editorial projects, he strikes the perfect balance between being an independent problem-solver and a collaborative team-member.

Jennifer Christiansen - Senior Graphics Editor

Scientific American

We worked with Jan Willem Tulp to develop and implement visual structures for discourse and argumentation mapping in archival contexts. He is not only very up-to-date on all relevant technologies, he is able to listen deeply, to cooperate effectively and to translate complex and many-layered issues in viable procedures. It has been a please to work with him and we are looking forward to continue our collaboration.

Theo Hug and the DigiVis Team - Professor of Educational Sciences at the Department of Media, Society and Communication

University of Innsbruck

Awards

  • ☆ HPE Art Award · nominated
  • ☆ Malofiej · silver & bronze
  • ☆ Information is Beautiful Awards· silver
  • ☆ Visualizing.org· multiple wins

Exhibitions

  • 1 2 3 Data, France (2018)
  • Natural Recall, Italy (2014)
  • Ars Electronica, Austria (2012, 2019)
  • The Art of Networks, USA (2012)

Judging

  • • Information is Beautiful Awards
  • • Visualizing Cities
  • • Malofiej
  • • National Science Foundation Vizzies

Workshops

Dataviz Fundamentals

An introduction to the principles of data visualization design. The goal of the workshop is to increase data- and visual literacy. No experience required. No computer is required during the workshop — all exercises are done with pen and paper.

request info

Introduction D3

An introduction to creating visualizations with D3. The goal of the workshop is to learn the most common parts and usage of the D3 visualization library. Basic programming skills are required.

request info

Notable book appearances

The book of Circles
Manuel Lima
2017
Manuel de data visualisation
Jean Marie Lagnel
2017
Interactive data visualizaton for the web
Scott Murray
2017
Data visualization for success
Steven Braun
2017
Data visualisation
Andy Kirk
2016
The best American infographics 2016
Gareth Cook
2016
New challenges for data design
David Behanic
2015
The book of Trees
Manuel Lima
2014
The best American infographics
Gareth Cook
2013
The functional art
Alberto Cairo
2013
Design for information
Isabel Meirelles
2013
Infographic design
Choi's Gallery
2012

My story

me working

Being raised in a creative family, my wish as a child had always been to become an artist. Yet at an early age I found out that the world of computers fascinated me also. So, as a synthesis, I decided to study interaction design, hoping to find a job where I could apply my skills both on design and software.

After my study, it appeared that the jobs I was looking for were hard to find. When I look back now, I clearly see how my career repeatedly switched between working for very creative companies that always appeared to offer too little technical challenge for me, and working for very technical companies where there was not enough work that met my need for designing.

In 2010 I found out that there existed such a thing as data visualization. For me that was, and still is, the ultimate combination of software, design and interaction. I decided to become a freelancer. One year later I started my company TULP Interactive. This turned out to be the right choice: I have been creating data visualizations ever since.