Directions

In this chapter we discussed why well-designed data graphics are important and we described a taxonomy for understanding their composition.

The objective of this assignment is for you to understand what characteristics you can use to develop a great data graphic.

Each question is worth 5 points.

To submit this homework you will create the document in Rstudio, using the knitr package (button included in Rstudio) and then submit the document to your Rpubs account. Once uploaded you will submit the link to that document on Canvas. Please make sure that this link is hyper linked and that I can see the visualization and the code required to create it.

Question #1

Answer the following questions for this graphic Relationship between ages and psychosocial maturity

  1. Identify the visual cues, coordinate system, and scale(s)
  2. How many variables are depicted in the graph? Explicitly link each variable to a visual cue that you listed above.
  3. Critique this data graphic using the taxonomy described in the lecture.

#a

#Visual cues: Length, Color, Position, Direction(slope)

#Coordinate system: Cartesian (x,y)

#Scale: Linear numeric (y) and backward logarithmic numeric (x) starting from 20,000 to 0 (Present).

#b.

#Time, age, and the comparison characteristics of menarche vs. psychosocial maturation are the three variables. Time is plotted along the x-axis, age is plotted along the y-axis, and the relationship between menarche and psychosocial maturation is depicted by two separate coloured bars.

#Length: the lengths of menarche and psychosocial maturation were different

#Color: Color differentiates the menarche and psychosocial maturation.

#Position: Four set of variables are in different positions

#Direction: The trend line’s slope reveals how and how much it varies over time.

#c

#The data visualisation emphasises the disparity between the two variables by using colour to distinguish between menarche and psychosocial maturation. A time scale with numerical values that have particular features is also included in the graphic. Menarche vs. Psychosocial Maturation Relationship is depicted by two different coloured bars, with Time as the x-axis, Age as the y-axis.Although both factors have been increasing, social changes in the present era have enabled the disparity to increase. Since Menarche vs. Psychosocial Maturation are in different colours, the reader may quickly see how variables and groupings relate to one another.Although the length of the bar is unclear, it would be preferable to use a boxplot rather than a bar if the author wished to illustrate the distribution within the menarche/psychosocial in that time period.

Question #2

Answer the following questions for this graphic World’s top 10 best selling cigarette brands 2004-2007

  1. Identify the visual cues, coordinate system, and scale(s)
  2. How many variables are depicted in the graph? Explicitly link each variable to a visual cue that you listed above.
  3. Critique this data graphic using the taxonomy described in the lecture.

#a.

#Visual cues: color and length

#Coordinate system: Cartesian Coordinate system

#Scale(s): Linear(x) and Categorical(y)

#b.

#Two variables are shown in the data graphic: cigarette brands and sales in billions.

#The length of the bars represents sales in billions ($), and the colour of the bars denotes the brands of cigarettes.

#c.

#Both colour and length are used in the data visualisation to communicate information. From 2004 through 2007, Marlboro was the best-selling cigarette brand, according to the graph. The x-axis label and title provide the data a clear context and make it easier to make meaningful comparisons. The graphic also features a linear scale, with the x-axis showing sales in billions of dollars ($).The context is clear, straightforward, and makes it simple to compare the sales of various cigarette brands.

Question #3

Find two data graphics published in a newspaper on on the internet in the last two years.

  1. Identify a graphical display that you find compelling. What aspects of the display work well, and how do these relate to the principles that we have just gone over in lecture. Include a screenshot of the display along with your solution (Hint:use the following in a code chunk: knitr::include_graphics(“your_graphic”).

#a

#source: https://www.carbonbrief.org/renewables-will-be-worlds-top-electricity-source-within-three-years-iea-data-reveals/

#This data graph is a displays two types of charts, one is area chart represent global electricity demand by region 1990-2025.The other one is 100% stacked column that depicts share of demand in selected years. The graphs represent the global predictions on electricity consumption and it predicts a significant rebound in the increase of the world’s electricity demand in 2023. By 2025, there will be an additional 2,500 terawatt hours (TWh) of demand, primarily in Asia, according to this graphic.

#X axis represents years and Y axis is Terawatt hours(electric comsumption). The color represent the regions.This graphs is easy to interpret and it is easily understandable.

#The image’s visual cues are successful in conveying the comparison of the percentage of electricity consumption during the years and the prediction for the future.

b.Identify a graphical display that you find less compelling. What aspects of the display don’t work well? Are there ways that the display might be improved? Include a screenshot of the display along with your solution (Hint:use the following in a code chunk: knitr::include_graphics(“your_graphic”).

#b

#source: https://advisor.visualcapitalist.com/animated-map-gdp-forecasts-for-2021-and-beyond/

#This graphic is less compelling and overloaded with lots of data points.The use of visual cues in the form of color and map makes the graphic little hard to grasp. I would rather use a line chart or a bar graph to demonstrate the Annual GDP projections globally.

Question #4

Briefly (one paragraph) critique the designer’s choices. Would you have made different choices? Why or why not? Note: Link contains a collection of many data graphics, and I don’t expect (or want) you to write a full report on each individual graphic. But each collection shares some common stylistic elements. You should comment on a few things that you notice about the design of the collection.

What is a Data Scientist

Answer: To convey the data to the reader in a beautiful, understandable fashion, the author of this graph made good use of virtual cues. The brief introduction provides background information about the study and introduction to the topic. Each graph is then briefly introduced, followed by excellent labeling and the use of monochromatic colors throughout the infographic. The linear and logarithmic scales used in bar and pie charts make it simple to understand and draw conclusions.

Question #5

Briefly (one paragraph) critique the designer’s choices. Would you have made different choices? Why or why not? Note: Link contains a collection of many data graphics, and I don’t expect (or want) you to write a full report on each individual graphic. But each collection shares some common stylistic elements. You should comment on a few things that you notice about the design of the collection.

Charts that explain food in America

Answer:The majority of the maps in this page feature heat maps that split down to the state, county, or store level, which not only aids in highlighting more information but also helps distinguish geographic borders. When there are two or more variables on the map, the authors typically use two or more colors to distinguish a categorical variable and the sequential/diverging color palette to depict the numbers variable, which adds another layer of information to the map. The vast majority of the visualizations use a distinct visual cue, such color, to distinguish between various data points.The data are overloaded with information leading to interest lost in the reader. I would not recommend using same charts multiple times in a given data graphics.