Homework 5 - Minimalist and Maximalist

Overview: In this assignment we’ll explore the spectrum of visualization; from Tufte’s extreme minimalism to Holmes’ artistic maximalism. Your goal is to create two versions of the same visualization, each embodying one of these two philosophies. This will also be a great opportunity to experiment with non-code based ways of creating visualizations.

Requirements:

• Choose a public dataset with at least 2 variables and at least 4 observations to visualize.

  • There are no strict restrictions on what dataset you choose, but you should aim to choose a dataset that is unique and insightful.

  • You will likely also want to choose a dataset that requires little preprocessing if possible.

  • Take a look at the data resources page for inspiration.

• Create a basic visualization of this dataset using a plotting library such as Altair.

  • This visualization will not be evaluated, it’s simply to give you a template for the next parts of the assignment.

• Using your initial visualization as a template, create a minimalist version that maximizes the data-to-ink ratio to the extent possible.

  • It should still be possible to extract the same information from this visualization, though it may be more difficult

  • It’s recommend to hand-draw this version or use another tool such as photoshop, powerpoint or any graphic design software. The visualization does not need to be perfectly accurate, but should be reasonably close.

• Again using your initial visualization as a template, create a maximalist version of this visualization with significant artistic flair.

  • This could mean adding background art, pictograms relevant color schemes, pictures etc. Your goal is to make the visualization memorable. Let your creativity run wild!

  • As before it should still be possible to extract the same information from this visualization, though it may be more difficult.

  • Artwork and stylistic choices should tie into the message or context of the visualization in some way.

  • You will not be evaluated on your artistic ability, but you should put in the effort to make the visualization polished.

• Include a descriptive caption explaining the context of each visualization.

• Cite and provide a link to the source of the dataset used. Specify which variables came from each dataset.

  You should follow the standard instructions for submitting this assignment on Canvas.