data visualization
sarc5400
Assignment V

Prototypes Due - Tuesday April 12, 2016

Abstract:

Throughout the course we have explored the theory and practice of visual information structures and knowledge graphics, along with sets of issues and problems they are trying to wrestle with — in short, both process and problem.

The graphic solutions and techniques that we have studied are all attempts to explain or see into some set of relationships or flows that are not easily understood or parsed. We've looked at ways to make complex associations, patterns, and massive data readable through justaposition, scale, context, and more.

The Semester Challenge:

Now, and for the remainder of the semester, you are tasked to apply the theory and practice of Data Visualization to a targeted problem of your own interest and data set.

For consistency of a theme for the class, there are two topical avenues from which to choose:

• Elections - ask a question related to the idea of, or events surrounding, an election or elections (U.S. and/or otherwise, presidential and/or otherwise). This could include one or several of the challenges of politics, economics, the environment, resources, energy, behavior, social concerns, geography, human agency, and more; each that have specific and often conflicting challenges.
  
  
• Your own data and topic - if you have a specific data set that you are already working on for a thesis, captstone, or similar, to which you want to apply the lessons of this course.

Each of you will choose an aspect, area, or issue within this very large and complex system, seek out and find data about it, explore its complexities through visual data analysis, and develop a dynamic visual information product.

Your topic could be any aspect and any scale of the issues surrounding this arena — it could be global; it could be minutely personal; it could be about countries, states, cities and communities in particular; it could be about individual agency and personal choice; it could be about massive trends; it could be about regional or global economics or markets; it could be about politics and policy — local, regional, or global. Your basis of study could be centered on resources and costs (there are many versions of this, not just monetary). It could (and perhaps should) involve political, economic, social, or policy challenges. Whatever your argument, consider it from multiple directions and multiple scales.

Your visual exploration should include the system of inputs, decisions, challenges, and variable impacts of all of these, and will likely include each along a range of personal, social, environmental, economic and political scales. Your exploration may include both micro and macro level issues. It should include not just the "whats" but also the "hows" and "whys" of the system. These visualizations should go well beyond broad-stroke systems diagrams or kitchy pop-graphics, into something that articulates not just the presence of a conflicted system, but some of the details and specific machinations of that system.

Identify an issue or interrelated set of issues, and develop a technique to see into it - to gain insight. Use the techniques that we've been studying. Look at examples of how others have attacked these problems.

Your issue should be something you care about and are interested in, and it should be something fun!

Final Products:

• An interactive visualization using D3 / SVG and graphics procedures that we've been studying
• A static poster graphic, in PDF form, that synthesizes statically what the interactive does dynmaically.

There are three stages to this assignment, over the remainder of the semester:

• for April 12 - Sketches and Prototypes: research, questions, data searching, graphic ideas:
  Choice of an issue and direction, with reactions to looking at existing datasets. What is your question?
  Preliminary graphics and datasets, a concise beginning to a set of issues. Issue area is starting to come to definition. A set of questions is forming. Some early choices and manipulation of graphics to try to get at the issues. Precedents and graphic examples. Speculate - and CONSTRUCT - a preliminary response(s). SKETCH - by hand, and through RAW / Tableau / Illustrator.
  
  
• for April 26 - Preliminary Design Review. Prototypes are becoming products. Your graphics, assessments, and arrangements are at this stage taking form, and starting to show some real result. You have a basic framework and data working in HTML / D3. You are beginning to prototype user interactions. Graphics are starting to generate context and answers to your questions. This will be a peer-review to flesh out how your graphics are performing relative to the issues and questions you are manipulating. Data sources selection should be coming to a close.
  
  
• Final Project Submittal, end of semester - The final products, and a final class showcase and peer-review of your work.