With the illustrator Gerd Arntz, Neurath worked out the theory of Isotype,
an early form of symbology and a striking way of representing quantitative
information as easily interpretable icons. Their work has had strong
formative influence on cartographic symbology and the use of proportional
symbols to represent comparative spatial information (demographic and
social statistics in different countries, illustrating changes over the
19th and early 20th century in a way that is designed to help the
non-literate or non-specialist to understand social change and inequity;
Neurath can be seen as a progenitor to Edward Tufte and Buckminster Fuller
in this area).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Neurath

(Can advocates use this way of representing to counter "burden of disease"
data?  Sylvia, just wondering)

People Who experience mood swings, fear,
voices and visions: each other on the internet
www.peoplewho.org