DATA VISUALIZATION - WORD AND IMAGE 2 2018
PROCESS
RESEARCH
Before beginning this data visualization project, we were told to collect data over fall break following a certain prompt. The prompt I decided to follow was “6.5 Days of Time Spent Doing” which I then specified to “6.5 Days of Time Spent Listening to music. Initially I collected information about the time I spent listening to a certain artist or playlist, the time of day, and the mood it made me feel. we completed an in class data visualization workshop. We looked at examples of data visualization from the book “Dear Data” to observe what techniques authors Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec used in their data visualization executions. We observed and took note of what aspects of their data visualizations were reading clearly, visually pleasing, and more.
My initial data collection...
RESEARCH
Surrounding are some images from “Dear Data” by Giorgia Lupi and Stefanie Posavec. During the workshop, my group and I analyzed this data exchange in particular. Each set of post cards narrates and illustrates data about Lupi and Posevac’s wardrobes. We noticed aspects such as scale, texture, color, and placement.
RESEARCH
For the next steps of the workshop, we began to test out different elements of data visualization. Our instructors guided us to focus on certain elements at a time over a short period. Some of these elements were color, scale, number, texture, value, and more. This allowed us to begin to consider the visual language that might pertain to our own data visualization. Here are some images of my creations during the data visualization workshop...
DISCOVERY
After the workshop, I applied what I had learned from my experiments with different properties of data visualization to some initial attempts at illustrating my data. I thought a lot about color, scale, representative imagery, shape, and number. These intial executions allowed me to put what I had learned into context, even though they might not have been the most successful. I also began to narrow down the variables that I would be addressing in my data. I considered addressing variables such as mood, artist gender, time of day listening to music, and genre. In my initial attempts, I created visualizations that used variables such as time of day listening to music and artist gender. I was very interested in persuing the artist gender prompt, but I ran into a couple of problems: some the music I listened to was just a playlist, so I would not be able to directly address each artist, and I also had not recorded the specific time duration for those artists.
DISCOVERY
I considered reflecting the topic of music in some of my beginning iterations through symbols such as sharp and flat notes and soundwaves, an idea that I would later revisit in my process. After these first attempts, we were told that we would have a partner collect our data based on themselves, and we would have the opportunity to revisit our data, this would allow me to more accurately pursue variables such as artist gender, genre, and duration.
DISCOVERY
I grew more and more interested in the idea of orbitals or circular representations of data, even before I had fully collected all of my second data set...
REFINEMENT
As I continued to collect new data, I considered the scale of orbitals as well as branching out to clock formation to represent duration. The clock would allow me to more clearly represent time, speaking more clearly to the actual amount of time spent listening to different artists and genres. In other words, the orbitals allowed me to show number while the other formations allowed me to show value.
REFINEMENT
While this idea of a clock pushed me in the direction of representing duration, it did not communicate clearly. I needed a method that precisely, accurately, and clearly illustrated a certain number of minutes. This prompted me to consider using one symbol two represent x amount of time. At this point, I also had my partner, Mikki’s, newly collected data as well as my own, so I was ready to venture into a new transparent method of data visualization. I decided to try representing two minutes with one circle, different genders with different types of circles, and different genres with different colors. While I was on my way to developing a clear visual language for time, I wasn’t sure the circles were the best method. In addition, I noticed that designs were becoming less about gender and more about genre...
REFINEMENT
I began to revisit my soundwave idea from the beginning of my process. Each wave represented two minutes of listening time while the different colors distinguished between Mikki and me. I got rid of gender as a variable and emphasized genre through clear labels.
REFINEMENT
I decided to pursue a vertical orientation, allowing me to more clearly organize my data. I also thought about the colors I would use, ensuring there would be high enough contrast.
CRITICISM
The criticism I received throughout my process was crucial to my final results. Some of this feedback revolved around the colors of my poster. It was essential that I chose colors that had high enough contrast. I went from using colors that were rather similar in value to colors that complimented eachother while also mantaining a strong difference in value. I also received feedback in the copy of my poster. My peers helped me think of a catchy title that encapsulates what my data is addressing, while also drawing the viewer’s curiosity. Another point of criticism I received was to make the difference between the most important points in Mikki and my data very clear. Mikki and I only overlapped over two genres: rock and pop, so it was important that I emphasize these genres over others. I did this by altering the opacity of the other lines of data, making them recede behind the rock and pop lines. My faculty and peers also reminded to make my key very clear and not be afraid to clearly communicate what each wave may mean. Overall, this project taught me much about clearly communicating an objective message, and also how to see things from others’ points of view. Receiving feedback from others is absolutely crucial to the success of data visualization.
This Process Book was designed by Ariela Basson for Word and Image 2 at the Sam Fox School of Visual Arts and Design, Fall 2018