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DS 4200 S22

P4—Data and sketches

Due F 2022-03-04, 11:59pm EST 8pts

Please make sure you understand and follow the instructions properly. If you have any questions regarding this assignment, please post on Canvas in Discussion: P4—Data and sketches.

Table of Contents

Change log

  • N/A.

Aim of the assignment

In this project assignment includes two components: First, you will perform a preliminary data exploration in order to understand what kind of features the data you are using has. Second, use your task table and keeping the primary consumer of your final visualization in mind, create preliminary hand-drawn sketches on paper of what visualizations you may want to create for your project. Through this practice, you will learn more about performing data exploration, ideation and, design sketching.

Background information

Data exploration is an important step in any visualization project to make sure you understand all of your data, know what type of data you are working with, look for missing data or errors (i.e. dirty data), and start to identify interesting patterns or trends. Things are rarely as simple as you expect.

Ideation, sketching and design iteration is also an important step, in which you think through possible solutions based on your task analysis, primary consumers, and real or example data exploration. Before selecting a visualization to build it is important to iteratively explore a large design space. Moreover, by creating sketches individually rather than together you help encourage creativity and avoid bias and premature design selection. Furthermore, working by hand on paper allows you much more freedom of expression and creativity than electronic tools support. Using electronic tools can artificially limit your design space to what your tools easily support and reduce how many iterations you do.

For a refresher on what we expect from your projects, please refer to the Project Overview.

Warning: The requirements listed for the projects must be met unless you have approval from the instructor to do a differentiated project.

Instructions

1. Data exploration

In this step, you will dive deeper into your data to understand its features better.

  1. Start writing a document in your favorite word processor / document preparation system.
    1. For the title, write P4 followed by your Project Group name on Canvas, making sure to include the 2-digit group number prefix. E.g., P4 07 Paint Provenance.
    2. Include all group members’ names at the top.
    3. Write Data Exploration as a section heading.
  2. In the Data Exploration section, write your answers to the following prompts, using the first bold part of the prompt as subsection names.
  • Data types: Review the data and answer the following:
    1. What type of data is in each column (categorical, ordinal, or quantitative)?
    2. Write a few sentences (3–5) summarizing the data you are working with and how the data was collected/generated (e.g. survey, statistical, internal revenue, etc.).

  • Potential issues: While reviewing the data, look for missing data, variables you are confused about, missing metadata, etc.

    Warning: If you are confused about the data, email your users/partner organization contact ASAP to get answers to your questions.

  • Insights: Load your data into Tableau, Altair, or another relevant visual data exploration tool. Make sure each variable is categorized appropriately, e.g., as a measure or dimension in Tableau. Start exploring! You can do this individually and then meet-up as a group to review your preliminary insights and thoughts, or you can do it sitting down together from start-to-finish. As a group, write a couple paragraphs (~8 sentences) summarizing your data exploration experience and preliminary insights.
    1. What trends and patterns do you see? Did anything surprise you during the exploration?
    2. Did you identify any further errors or messy/confusing data past what you noted in Potential issues? If so, sort it out ASAP if possible!
  • Screenshots: Take screenshots or export image files of at least 3 interesting plots you generated as part of your data exploration and include them as a figure. Each figure should have a caption of 3–4 sentences to explain:
    1. What data, or subset of data, you were exploring.
    2. What visual encoding(s) you used and why.
    3. What trend or pattern (or lack of trend/pattern!) does the visualization show.

2. Individual design sketching (broadening)

In this part, each member of the group should individually create three distinct sketches for what they think might be a good visualization option for the final project. You will not be graded on artistic skill or penalized for the lack of it.

Warning: These sketches should be made by hand using pen/pencil/marker on white paper and using no electronics.

  1. Create a page break in your document so that this next sub-part has its own page.
  2. Write Individual Sketches as the section heading.
  3. Include a photo or scan of each of the sketches as a figure with the caption explaining:
    1. The artist’s name.
    2. A couple of sentences about why you (the artist) chose those particular marks/channels and encoding(s) for your design.
    3. What tasks in your task table (Task Analysis section) the visualization addresses.

3. Group selection and motivating (winnowing)

In this part, you will discuss all the sketches as a group and identify your 3 favorites (they do not have to be from the same artist).

  1. Create a page break in your document so that this next sub-part has its own page.
  2. Write Favorite Sketches as the section heading.
  3. Mark each selected favorite in the previous section clearly with Favorite: at the beginning of the caption.
  4. Write 2–3 paragraphs indicating why you chose the favorites, explaining them further, and motivating them in the context of your previous assignments. These explanations must make clear why this particular visualization is appropriate for the given data and tasks grounded in the theory we have learned in class.

Submission instructions

  1. One person from the group (i.e. the group leader on Canvas) should create a PDF from your document and ensure it contains everything required in this assignment. They should then submit it as a single PDF to the assignment P4—Data and sketches on GradeScope.

    Note: Use Gradescope’s Group Members tab to add the members of your group to your submission.

    Note: Use GradeScope’s “tagging” interface to associate the pages of the PDF with their associated questions of the rubric.

Grading notes

  • There is no page limit.
  • You will be graded on the quality of your writing.
  • Points will be deducted for grammar and spelling mistakes.
  • Points will be deducted for not following the instructions.

© 2022 Cody Dunne. Released under the CC BY-SA license