Checklist for visualisations:
- The selected graph is the best option for representing this data
- All numbers double-checked
- Spell check
- Headline/title
- Correct units of measurement
- Description of what the x- and y-axis represent
- Y-axis starts at 0 (If not: Is it clearly shown? Does the editor agree?)
- Conscious choice of colours (explained on request)
- Source
- Instructions for use (if the graph is interactive)
- Context or explanation (if necessary)
- Byline
- Accessibility (contrast, caption for screen readers, attached table etc (explained on request)
- Understandable for someone who sees the visualization for the first time (show it to someone outside the newsroom)
- The visualization checked on a mobile device
Assignment 28-11-24
1.A
I choose to make the line red, to draw in the reader. Furthermore, I choose to annotate two of the important point in the graph. The increase in the first 5 years and then the first time the amount when over 400 reactors, to show how much it has increased over the years.
1.B
I choose to make this graph yellow/orange as this is the colour of energy and lightning. I choose to include the 10 countries in Europe that have the most Net Electrical Capacity.
1.C
- Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)? Yes
- Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colours using the tool? It's very easy to change the colours in the Refine section. It is harder to choose a colour because it should feel natural.
- Text/Labels: How easy or difficult is it to work with text and labels in the tool? It's very easy to annotate in Annotate, but again it's more the question of what you think is relevant.
- Flexibility: How flexible are the tools? Can you make the changes you need? Yes I can make the changes I need
- Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools? I can see how accesible the chart is for people with different types of colour blindness. And there is also a function for a description for screenreader.
- Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them? No issues on the smartphone.
2.A
Again: I choose to make the line red, to draw in the reader. Furthermore, I choose to annotate two of the important point in the graph. The increase in the first 5 years and then the first time the amount when over 400 reactors, to show how much it has increased over the years.
2.B
Same: I choose to make this graph yellow/orange as this is the colour of energy and lightning. I choose to include the 10 countries in Europe that have the most Net Electrical Capacity.
2.C
- Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)? Yes
- Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colours using the tool? It's a lot more difficult to change, but there are more options. You need to find a colour code yourself.
- Text/Labels: How easy or difficult is it to work with text and labels in the tool? It's harder, but again more options. It's less intuitive and I need to look at all the options before I find what I need.
- Flexibility: How flexible are the tools? Can you make the changes you need? It is less intuitive and I have trouble making the changes I need sometimes.
- Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools? There is a description for screenreader, but less options to check accessibility for colour blind people.
- Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them? It is much harder.
3.
- In what context do you think Datawrapper is the best tool, and why? When would you not use it?
- Datawrapper is good if you want to make a quick graph that doesn't need to be too sophisticated. The graphs work a little less well on the smartphone I would say, as they get cropped in a weird way.
- What are the main benefits of using Datawrapper?
- It is very intuitive and easy to use. If you don't need anything interactive or to adjust every single detail, it is quicker and easier than Flourish.
- In what context do you think Flourish is the best tool, and why? When would you not use it?
- Flourish is great if you want to make very detailed graphs. It has more options to adjust the layout. It is also better if you want to make something interactive, when you want to show multiple graphs, then you can make a story. I like the story function, it has many options and it looks very clean.
- What are the main benefits of using Flourish?
- More options and more interactive features, also include a story of the vizualisation.
- Which of the tools do you personally prefer so far?
- I like datawrapper because it is a little more intuitive. Flourish is sometimes frustrating to use, but I do see the advantage that it has more options. Flourish produces also more pretty graphs I think!
28-11-24