We will extend the bar chart discussed in part III of the readings during the D3 tutorial. Please try the code there yourself before the tutorial. We will go over the code in detail and of course be happy to answer any questions!
Part I - Play with D3
Take the matriculations-dataset (download, taken from
STATcube - Statistical Database http://www.statistik.at) or
a dataset of your choice and
use D3 in order to create an interactive
visualization. If you have problems to start, take the provided template and
play with it to get a feeling how the toolkit is working.
To get an idea of how a solution could look like, watch this video!
Part II - Interaction with multivariate data
Take the whiskey-data set (download) and develop
several (at least 3) simple paper prototypes which enables the user to
interactively explore the multivariate data. It is important that you try to use
different approaches and compare them among each other.
You don't need to faithfully and accurately map each variable, but you should
provide enough detail so that the idea of your visualization is clear. A key to
this assignment is to figure out what you want to represent (and what to omit)
and how to represent that. You may have to abstract and summarize different
aspects of the data --- think carefully about this! On the back of your paper,
or on another sheet, briefly explain your visualization well enough so that we
can understand what you have done.
Your visualization should not be restricted to bar charts. You should be
exploring more complex relationships within the data than a simple list!
Next, implement the paper prototype most appropriate with D3 and write a report
summarizing the results, the pros and cons of all of the prototypes, your
decision (why you implemented a specific prototype) and any discrepancy between
the original prototype and your implementation.
The assignment will be graded out of a total of 100 points.
Part I - 30 points
Part II - 70 points
We will grade your submission and presentation with the following scheme:
We will evaluate the effectiveness of your visualization for communicating the fundamental aspects of the data set. Does it give the viewer a good understanding of the different characteristics of the data? Here, we are looking for both effectiveness and creativity. (We do realize that people have differing levels of design ability and experience. Here, we are looking for a good effort, not necessarily some conference paper-worthy new idea. Perhaps you can apply some of the ideas that you've learned from class so far.) The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with experience in the analysis of data like this and the design of visualizations to present the data.
A selection of helpful JS/d3/mockup tools that may be helpful