- 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, x 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 1: Data wrapper
Write a short description of your choices
I chose the colour red as it is an attention-grabbing colour. I also made the line bold to catch the reader's attention. Additionally, I adjusted the years on the horizontal axis to clearly highlight the starting and ending points. I added a grid and included labels to improve readability and make the chart easier to understand.
Write a short description of your choices.
I chose to assign a unique color to each country to make it easier to distinguish between them. This will help if I create additional charts with data on the same countries, as each one will be easily recognizable by its color. I therefore also added a legend. Additionally, I arranged the countries in order, placing the country with the highest value at the front and the one with the lowest at the end. Lastly, I added labels to the chart so that the reader can immediately see the corresponding values for each country.
Answer the following questions. Write the answers in your post.
Keep the questions in mind, as they will serve as a helpful guide for you in the future:
Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)?
Yes
Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colors using the tool?
It was very easy to change the colours.
Text/Labels: How easy or difficult is it to work with text and labels in the tool?
Compared to Flourish, I found labeling specific points in Datawrapper more challenging. I couldn’t quite figure out how to add a label to a particular point on the chart.
Flexibility: How flexible are the tools? Can you make the changes you need?
Datawraper is a flexible tool. I could easily make changes to the chart without having to look very hard for certain features. It is a very simple tool, but therefore, it is also not very advanced. As mentioned above, it is not very advanced in letting you customize your chart. For easy charts, it is a great feature, but if you want to customize it, it is quite limited.
Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools?
The tool pays attention to accessibility. I have personally found the following features:
- Accessible to people with colourblindness. The tool provides you with a set of different colour palettes you can choose from that are colorblind-friendly.
- The option to have a textual representation of the visualizations to make it more accessible to screen readers.
Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them?
The charts automatically redesign to smartphone sizes and remain interactive. However, they do become smaller which makes them less visually appealing and harder to understand. My column chart was still understandable but the line chart was not.
Assignment 2 Flourish
Answer the following questions
Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)?
Yes
Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colors using the tool?
It wasn’t very hard. It is a little bit more difficult than Datawrapper but nevertheless easy to use.
Text/Labels: How easy or difficult is it to work with text and labels in the tool?
I found it relatively easy to add text and labels. I had to work with it a little bit to figure it out but I managed at the end. I however didn’t find an option like with Datawrapper to add annotations wherever you want.
Flexibility: How flexible are the tools? Can you make the changes you need?
It is a very flexible tool. I found it had more features to customize the chart, like adding a background image, adding specific labels,...
Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools?
Flourish also provides colorblind-friendly palettes and the option to have a textual representation of the visualizations to make it more accessible to screen readers.
Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them?
The graphs are also adjusted for smartphone users. The same problems however apply to Flourish as for Datawraper.
Assignment 3 Comparison
In what context do you think Datawrapper is the best tool, and why? When would you not use it?
Datawrapper is ideal for quickly creating simple, straightforward graphs. If you need a fast and simple visualisation, Datawrapper is the better tool. However, if you want to customize, Datawrapper is too limited.
What are the main benefits of using Datawrapper?
It is very simple to use. It is more user-friendly than Flourish. You can make clean, professional-looking graphs in only a few minutes.
In what context do you think Flourish is the best tool, and why? When would you not use it?
If you want to customize your graph more, Flourish is the better tool. It does take a little bit more time to create a graph than Datawrapper.
What are the main benefits of using Flourish?
There are more features to make more complex graphs. It also offers more advanced design options.
Which of the tools do you personally prefer so far?
Datawrapper