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In this practice session, we’ll be converting raw, unorganized data into a meaningful visualization. The concepts we’ll be putting into practice come from a Treehouse course called Data Visualization Foundations. If you’re unfamiliar with the fundamentals of Data Visualization, there’s a link to that course in the Teacher’s Notes.
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User Personas
Data Source for this Practice Session
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[MUSIC]
0:00
Hi, my name is Anwar.
0:08
I'm a designer, a developer and
a teacher at Treehouse.
0:11
My pronouns are he/him.
0:14
In this practice session,
we'll be converting raw,
0:16
unorganized data into
a meaningful visualization.
0:19
The concepts we'll be putting into
practice come from a Treehouse course
0:22
called Data Visualization Foundations.
0:27
If you're unfamiliar with
the fundamentals of data visualization,
0:30
there's a link to that course
in the Teacher's Notes.
0:34
Speaking of the Teacher's Notes,
I've also included a link to the
0:37
source of data for
this practice session.
0:41
The Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, or IIHS,
0:44
describes itself as an
independent, nonprofit,
0:48
scientific and educational
organization
0:52
dedicated to reducing deaths,
injuries, and property damage
0:55
from motor vehicle crashes through
research and evaluation,
1:00
and through education of consumers,
policymakers and safety professionals.
1:04
I'm looking at an article from IIHS,
detailing the fatal
1:10
car crashes for the year
2019 in the United States.
1:15
And while there's a ton of
useful data in these tables,
1:20
by itself the data
is pretty intimidating.
1:23
We see row after row of statistics and
a lot of large numbers.
1:26
A set of raw data like
this also lacks context.
1:32
At a glance, I might assume California
is a much more dangerous place
1:36
to drive than Delaware,
since California saw over 3,000
1:41
traffic deaths in 2019,
versus Delaware's 122.
1:46
But is that the entire story?
1:51
California has nearly 40 times
the population of Delaware.
1:53
And by only checking 2019's numbers,
it's impossible to spot trends.
1:58
Are California's roads getting safer,
or more dangerous?
2:03
We can't tell from this one chart.
2:07
So we're not quite ready to open our
choice of design software just yet.
2:10
In the course called
Data Visualization Fundamentals,
2:16
we identified four steps to take
before starting a data visualization.
2:19
Identifying your audience,
deciding on your story,
2:24
double-checking your data, and
choosing the right amount of data.
2:28
Let's start with identifying our audience.
2:33
I've included two personas
in the Teacher's Notes.
2:35
And as you'll see,
both users have
2:38
reasons to be interested
in statistics about road safety.
2:41
Grandma Gin is a retired flight attendant
who takes several trips per year,
2:45
but doesn't enjoy driving and
prefers slower, safer roads.
2:50
And Trucker Ted is a long-haul
trucker who chooses his delivery
2:54
routes carefully, especially when
driving somewhere new.
2:58
Ted has deuteranopia, meaning he has
trouble distinguishing red from green.
3:02
So you'll want to make sure your
visualization doesn't depend on color
3:07
alone to deliver its meaning.
3:12
In terms of the story we'd like to tell,
here's a great practice opportunity.
3:14
Grab your sketchbook, and
before starting the next video,
3:19
take the time to sketch out a variety
of visualizations that might
3:23
be meaningful to users like
Trucker Ted and Grandma Gin.
3:27
The visualization you create
should stand out on its own,
3:31
and should be easy to
share on social media.
3:35
This won't be an
interactive visual, so
3:38
users won't have the option
of adjusting parameters.
3:41
Also, feel free to do research beyond
the set of data I've provided.
3:45
I mentioned previously, you might want
to examine whether California's roads
3:50
are getting safer or more dangerous.
3:55
But this chart lists only 2019 statistics.
3:57
Or, you're hoping to tell a story of
the relationship between alcohol and
4:01
auto fatalities, this set of data
looks a bit incomplete.
4:07
But in both cases, you might be able
to find supplemental data elsewhere,
4:11
as long as it comes from a
recent and reputable source.
4:16
Have fun sketching!
4:20
We'll take a look at my
solutions in the next video.
4:21
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