The tool will eventually use APIs from sources including ESPN, the Economist and social media sites to compile and create data visualizations. At its launch, the startup is offering templates that use the Facebook or Twitter API.
One of them, for instance, creates a "Facebook Monster" from your profile that is designed to represent you. It uses Face.com's face-recognition API to figure out if you are, for instance, wearing glasses in your profile pic and adjusts the monster accordingly. In the final infographic, the monster includes props that indicate your interests and stats such as what percentage of your photos you smile in.
Another infographic template called "Twitter Showdown" compares two Twitter handles of your choice. "Life of a Hashtag" shows number of mentions and top influencers for any hashtag, and "Facebook Insights" puts all of your brand page information into one visual report.
Visual.ly co-founder and CEO Stew Langille tells Mashable he envisions designers developing templates for automated infographics in order to promote their work. When the automated versions don't cut it, users might hire the designer to further customize the visualization. For experienced designers, the tool can function like a data crutch.