Research/Surveys

Today you will determine how you will obtain the dataset for your infographic. This could be done in at least two ways:

1. Internet research 
2. Surveys (surveymonkey.com or google forms)

Once you determine your method, you will begin your research. You may also use a combination of internet research and surveys. If survey, who will you survey and when?

In your groups, answer these questions in a google doc or word file. When complete, upload here.

Questions:


Method of research:
Topic for Infographic:

3 key questions you will research or ask:

3 key things you are hoping to find


How might you display the data? (chart/graph/map etc)


When you obtain the data:
What have you learned from your research/surveys?
What is something you can infer from your research?
What might be a good headline?
What supporting facts will you have?
What supporting visuals will you have?

Adobe Illustrator Live Demo Files

Please download the attached files for the Illustrator Tutorial.

Infographic/Mapping Class Project

You will produce an Infographic using Adobe Illustrator, Google Apps and Google Maps that showcases your visual design skills and ability to integrate the targeted software tools. What is most important is your understanding of visual hierarchy, a concept you will learn about during this unit.

Your infographic is based on a dataset you either obtain though research or collect using a survey. You may do this work with a small group of no more than 3 people.

Once you have your dataset you will decide how to best display the data in a visually compelling way. Think of this visual as something that could appear in the Saratoga Falcon newspaper, online on a website or blog, or as a printed poster.

Steps:

1. Select a topic and conduct research. (Friday, Aug 23)
2. Evaluate/Critique the infographic and data visualizations provided in the class (Visual.ly and others in upcoming lessons).
3. Learn Adobe Illustrator with a focus on design, typography, charts and graphs.
4. Conduct research using Google Forms (for survey), Google Spreadsheets (for survey responses), SurveyMonkey (alternative), and Google Maps API.
5. Create background infographic (as static jpg file)
6. Integrate background as background for web page featuring google maps that display markers on locations relevant to your data (infowindows, markers, mapping styles, basic html/css)
7. Upload all final work in your designated google folder on the google drive.

Today's Blogspot Comment Response:

1. How will you obtain your data?
2. What are some visuals, images, that might support your data visualization?
3. What colors/fonts might you use? Why?
4. What do you hope to uncover or find in your research that will make an interesting visualization?
5. How will the viewer feel when they see your visualization? How can you design something with the viewer in mind?

Design, Data and Visual Hierarchy

Please read the linked post here and answer the following prompts in groups, be prepared to share your best thoughts with the class:

1. What are the graphic design decisions required to support the creation of infographics?
2. What is meant by the 'architecting' of the visualization?
3. Analyze the Titanic infographic in terms of color combinations, text used, text style (font style), and use of images in the infographic.

Please watch the youtube movie linked here.

Answer the following questions in groups, be prepared to share your best work with the class:

1. When creating data visualizations, where does the designer start?
2. What are the basic principles of data visualization?
3. What do you think is meant by the concept of visual hierarchy?

Switch groups. Watch this TED talk by Jer Thorpe of the NY Times. 

1. Discuss with your group ideas for data visualization. What are some topics that could be ripe for research and visualizing the results? Please write ideas on individual post-it notes and place on a whiteboard around the room.

Look at some examples of data visualization on the Flowing Data website.

1. Discuss with your group which visualizations you think are particularly successful, which are not?

Visit the following artist sites. Select your favorite visualizations and discuss with your group the design characteristics in terms of text, color, images/vector images used, are photographic images used or not:
1. Fernanda Viegas
2. Martin Wattenberg

Switch Groups: Watch the following Ted Talk by Aaron Koblin

1. Discuss Koblin's work with your group. Why do you think he is on the leading edge of data visualization? How does he humanize data? How does he make a connection to audience with design and his work?