National Design Awards: Ben Fry's 'Odd Route' Through Design World Pays Off

Got data but need knowledge? Then get to know Ben Fry. A veteran of the Media Lab at MIT, where he received his doctoral degree, Fry has made a name for himself—and his Boston-based firm, Fathom Information Design—with elegant and mind-boggling visualizations of everything from global population trends and all of the streets in the lower 48 states to optimal triathalon training regimens and dietary preferences in Saudi Arabia. Even the beverages at Fathom are not immune to the data deluge: a