Data Types Assignment (due 9.18)

For this assignment, each group will be researching the opportunities and challenges of visualizing a specific type of data set. These data types are:

- unstructured text
- geographic data
- personal experience / data
- relationships (between ideas, people, organizations, etc.)
- photographs and imagery
- events over time / time-based information

Come in prepared to present to the class about your data type. Try to answer the following questions:

- What are the characteristics of this kind of data set?
- What kinds of stories are likely to surface from this kind of data?
- What are the biggest design challenges in visually representing this kind of data?
- What types of visualization methods are most frequently used? How are these methods more appropriate to the type of data?*
- Give 2 examples of data visualization projects that use this kind of data set. Do you think they are successful or unsuccessful? Why? What do they do well? Where do they fail? What could be done to improve them?

* Some types of visualization methods to consider when researching are listed below. Also refer to this week’s reading assignments for examples of visualization methods.

- bar graphs, histograms, sparklines
- pie charts
- scatterplots
- network diagrams
- stack graphs and area graphs
- geographic maps and cartograms
- bubble graphs
- treemaps
- tag clouds
- timelines
- radar graphs
- concept maps
- Chernoff faces