Assignment 3: Evaluate a Slide and Improve Design
For this assignment, you will evaluate a slide containing a chart, you will consider the intended audience(s) and important points to communicate, and then make (or remake) a series of charts to more effectively communicate the important points that are identified.
The data for the following is attached in Excel format (the chart is included in the spread sheet).
our deliverable for this assignment is two parts:
- One word/pdf document of short paragraph writing that answers the steps / prompts below (there are 4)
- One Powerpoint / pdf with two slides, and each must contain at least one chart.
Writing Prompts You Must Answer
Prompt 1
Let's start by considering what is "good" about this chart. Briefly discuss what you like about this chart, and what is "good" about it.
Prompt 2
In a short paragraph, discuss the following: what questions can be answered with the slide? Where, specifically, do we look in the data for answers to these questions? How effectively are these questions answered by slide?
Prompt 3
What changes would you recommend based on the lessons we've covered in this course so far? Think about communication, audience, context, how design affects how/what we focus on and perceive, etc.
Prompt 4
Now, you are going to create new slides/charts to improve upon this existing work. Consider two approaches: 1) you are presenting these data in a live meeting (meaning, in real time, with control over your audience's attention), and 2) you are sending these data to an analyst who will look at it when they have time to get to it. Briefly discuss how you would approach these two contexts differently, and how it would affect your design(s).
Create Slides and Chart Redesigns
Redesign the above chart for the two different contexts above: live presentation, and asynchronous viewing by an analyst. Create one slide for each, and at least one chart for each slide. Include *important* text elements as you see fit; consider what information you want to communicate and use your knowledge of visualization design as you've learned in this course to make your communication effective. Note that when you redesign the chart, it can be *completely* different if that furthers your goal (in fact, the best answers will probably look quite a bit different than the original chart!).