USA Today interactive - click for larger image

Here’s a hugely rich interactive from USA Today which does a number of things very well.

Firstly, it’s an intelligent use of resources: the recession is likely to last for some time, and be the biggest ongoing story of our time. With everyone talking about it, you need something with that ‘wow’ factor, that will not only attract a great deal of attention now, but also a long tail of repeat visits.

Secondly, it’s personalised – not only can you get information on jobs growth in your state, but your particular industry in your state.

Thirdly, it’s dynamic – the graphic promises to be updated each month “with revised data from Moody’s Economy.com.”

There’s one major element missing – interaction. Find a way to capture users’ experiences (value) and you have an extra dimension that really capitalises on all the attention your interactive is getting.

Still, I’m not complaining…