Location | infovis-2016

General Description: With this display I am trying to convey the locations in the world that produce the most coconuts. I experimented with two different color schemes, one closely resembling my color model while one separates the colors more distinctly but strays from my color model. Additionally I played around with using size as an encoding for the number of tons of coconuts produced per country. I used a recognizable world map in order to easily convey the location of each country.

Emulation Description: I have emulated my color model more closely in my second version, where different degrees of the original blue are encoded to the number of tons (in millions) of coconuts produced in that country. I have emulated my typography model by using the same typeface as my model does. I have not implemented any sort of emulation from my visual language model since there is not situation to yet in this display.

Displays that exploit the visual potential of location

Critique #1: Memie Huang

Overall Memie preferred my first version as opposed to my second version because it was less cluttered and easy to view. She suggested making my legend larger and vertical, and placing it to the left of South America so that it has more space. She thought the color scheme on the first version was great but in order to emulate my color model it should use the second version's colors, minus the coconuts. She also thought that I should provide labels for the top 5 countries for more context.

Model Emulation Feedback

Memie loved the colors in the first version, thought they were very clean, typography model was emualted well, not much use of visual lanugage model.

Revisions based on this critique

Memie's critique prompted me to change my legend to be vertical, larger, and also altered the text for each piece of the legend to be more clear, whole numbers.

First Iteration

Final display:

Second Iteration

Sources: The data/inspiration for this display came from the following sources...

Critique #2: Bobby Brooks

Bobby liked my second version more (contrary to Memie) because of the use of coconuts. He also thought that I should make my legend larger so that it is more readable and easy to tell what the numbers mean.

Model Emulation Feedback

Bobby thought I emualted my color model well in the second version, but liked the colors in the first version more. He thought that I did a good job exploiting the visual potential of location here for the world, and that I emulated my typography model well.

Revisions based on this critique

Bobby's critique prompted me to remove the coconuts from my display, and move forward with the one that did not have any coconuts. After taking all of my critiques into consideration I decided that the best choice would be to move forward with the display not containing any coconuts on the countries.

Critique #3: Grace Kim

Grace liked both of my displays overall, but she preferred my first one because of the cleanliness of it compared to the second one. She didn't have many suggestions besides labeling the top 5 countries to add a little more depth to the first display.

Model Emulation Feedback

She thought that I emulated my color model well and specifically used the grey color in conjunction with teh blue effectively to convey the data. Typography was emulated well, and visual language potentional wasn't really used.

Revisions based on this critique

Grace's critique prompted me to add labels to the top 5 coconut producing countries in order to add more detail to the display overall. Without the context of how much more these countries actually produce compared to each other, there is less data being conveyed overall.

Critique #3: Bobby Brooks

Bobby thought that the changes I made in this iteration of my display were a good move in the right direction. He though that the main aspect of the dispaly that needed work were the labels, and that I should draw more from either my typography model or visual language model, or both.

Model Emulation Feedback

Color model was emualted well, maybe switch to an even more monochromatic scheme and exclude the range of colors by switching the overall story of the display. Typography model should be emualted more too.

Revisions based on this critique

I used Bobby's critique to draw from my typography model more heavily. Before I was afraid that using it was only meant for the typeface but now I see that it provides more use than just the font or typeface.

Critique #2: Jenna

Jenna liked my revision overall, but had some good feedback as well. She thought that it would be a good idea to focus on a specific story for the data, for example top 5 countries as the main focus or all countries that produce coconuts as the overall focus. Currently their are two stories being told and it would probably be better to just center in on one of them.

Model Emulation Feedback

My color model was emualted well, but visual language model is still lacking. Jenna suggested that I could change my labels to be more like the labels in my typography model. This would provide a good alternative to labeling and make better use of my typography model.

Revisions based on this critique

Jenna's critique was the main inspiration for me to change the look of my labels for the top 5 countries on the map. Although there were two stories being told in the display still, splitting it up into two separate displays would not allow me enough room in my final display to effectively convey either story. I decided to stick with telling both stories on the single map in order to get the most data across to my viewers as possible.

Critique #1: Andrew Joung

Overall Andrew liked the changes I made in my revision. He thought that the legend switch to vertical was strong and added to the display and made it easier to focus on the actual data. He recommended that I change the alignment of my labels so that they are consistent.

Model Emulation Feedback

He thought that I emulated my color model well, but that I should draw from my visual language model more for the labels. The display is sort of flat overall and playing around with the labels could add visual hierarchy.

Revisions based on this critique

Andrew's critique prompted me to align my labels (after I changed them) so that they were cleaner and more organized. I used his critique as well to draw upon my visual language model for more inspiration for the labels and to redesign them.