a)
This line graph showcases nuclear reactors globally from 1954 to 2023. I chose this format as it offers a straightforward and clear view of the data trends across decades.
b)
I chose these countries at random, although in hindsight I could've probably found a more interesting angle, like countries with the least or most nuclear reactors. However, I do think the bar graph itself is clear and facilitates a quick visual comparison.
c) Answer the following questions.
- Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)?
- I did follow the checklist and as someone who doesn't have the natural tendency to work very structured manner, I can really see the value of it as a fact-check tool to stick to religiously and avoid making mistakes in translating data to visuals.
- Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colours using the tool?
- I had no trouble changing colours.
- Text/Labels: How easy or difficult is it to work with text and labels in the tool?
- I had no trouble working with text and lables.
- Flexibility: How flexible are the tools? Can you make the changes you need?
- In this case: yes, totally! I can imagine with more complicated datasets you might want more options, though.
- Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools?
- Datawrapper charts are designed to be compatible with screen readers, allowing visually impaired users to access chart information.
- Users can add alt text to charts and images, providing descriptions that can be read by screen readers.
- Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them?
- I did not have any issue on my phone or laptop.
Assignment 2
a)
I chose to label each point for clarity. However, I struggled a bit with finding a way to stretch out the chart and make the numbers less overlapping. I think Datawrapper is a bit more user-friendly in that regard.
I added the screenreader description: 'The line chart shows a sizable increase in operational nuclear worldwide between 1954 and 2023' in the accessibility section.
b)
I chose a simple and mono-colored bar chart because I think it gives the most distraction-free and clear overview. I added the following screenreader description in the accessibility settings: This barchart showcases that the number of nuclear reactors in different countries is as follows: Argentina: 3. Canada: 19. France: 56. India: 20. USA: 94
c) Answer these questions:
- Have you followed the checklist for visualizations (every step)?
- Yes.
- Colours: How easy or difficult is changing colours using the tool?
- I think it was a bit harder to change colours on Flourish as opposed to Datawrapper, but the former did provide more precise color options.
- Flexibility and ease:
- I think it will take me a little bit more time to really get used to the interface of Flourish. The categories weren't very clear to me at first and it took me a while to understand what goes where. However, it's quite flexible with so many detailed options for the design of the charts.
- Accessibility: What are the different accessibility options provided by the tools?
- Flourish visualizations are designed to work with screen readers, so I used screenreader description option to describe the chart. I think it's cool that this allows visually impaired users to access and understand the data.
- Smartphone: How do the charts appear on your smartphone? Have you faced any issues while accessing them?
- Both smartphone and desktop were fine!
Assignment 3: Comparison
Datawrapper is absolutely ideal for quick, straightforward charts and maps . It’s super user-friendly and perfect for visualizing data without fussing over design details. It might not be the best choice if you need highly interactive or complex visualizations, but it gets the job done. It has easy and more free options for embedding / sharing than Flourish and it offers a quick set up for maps and charts. I have no complaints about Datawrapper.
Flourish is ideal for creating more engaging, interactive visualizations. The main benefit is how many templates and customization options there are. It's great for visually engaging and impressive presentations and web graphics, and it has the ability to create more complex data visualizations. However, especially for beginners, Flourish might feel a bit overwhelming.
So far, I personally prefer Datawrapper because its user-friendly and gets the job done. I can trace all my steps and understand exactly what I'm doing. I don't get confused by unnecessary options. However, in the future I hope to practice a bit more in Flourish, because I recognize that it will allow me to create more complicated and perhaps more professional visualizations.