Assignments > Visualization Analysis

Due Tue, 09/23 at 11:59pm

Information visualizations are everywhere (e.g., in government websites, news outlets, and social media feeds). Each visualization is created with a point of view in mind, highlighting certain aspects of the data while downplaying others.

For this assignment, your task is to find one strong (effective) visualization and one weak (ineffective) visualization from an online or print source. You must find a recent visualization (within the last 2-3 years).

Once you have selected your examples, you will:

  1. Take a screenshot (or photo if it's a print source) of each visualization and provide the source and link.
  2. Explain what each visualization is attempting to communicate.
  3. Evaluate why the visualization is effective (for the good one) or ineffective (for the bad one), drawing on the principles and readings we’ve discussed in class (e.g., misleading scale, chartjunk, low data density, good data / ink ratio, etc.).

Aim for a 1/2 page (single spaced) of description and analysis for each visualization.

Tips on where to look

  1. News & Media Outlets:
    • What to look for: Cable news broadcasts (Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc.) – election coverage, poll graphics, and economic charts often have truncated axes or misleading proportions.
  2. Print/online newspapers:
    • Bad visualizations: business sections sometimes oversimplify or stylize charts for readability.
    • Good visualizations: The Washington Post or NYT's graphics team, Financial Times Visual & Data Journalism
  3. Social Media:
    • X/Twitter: political commentators and advocacy groups share lots of quick-and-dirty charts.
    • Reddit (subreddits like r/dataisugly, r/BadData, r/statistics, r/dataisbeautiful) – some inspiring, egregious, and funny examples.
    • LinkedIn & Instagram infographics – especially from “thought leadership” posts or consulting firms trying to simplify insights.
  4. Corporate & Marketing Reports:
    • Annual reports & investor decks – companies often polish data with glossy graphics, sometimes at the expense of accuracy.
    • Consulting firm whitepapers (e.g., BCG, McKinsey, Bain, Deloitte, etc.) – heavy on branding, often with low data density and decorative elements.
  5. Government & Policy Contexts:
    • Political campaign ads – charts designed to persuade rather than inform.
    • Local government dashboards – some are excellent, but others overload with gauges, 3D effects, or odd scales.
  6. Other Websites:
    • FiveThirtyEight
    • Bloomberg Graphics
    • The Pudding
    • FlowingData (Nathan Yau)
    • Information is Beautiful (David McCandless)
    • Datawrapper Blog

What to submit

Please submit a PDF document with the strong and weak visualization you selected (including screenshots, sources, descriptions, and analysis). Be prepared to discuss each of your visualizations in class.