Pot-Pourriblogs.ischool.berkeley.edu/i247s12/files/2012/04/13-Potpourri.pdf · 13/04/2012 · • It is engaging (in order to win the ﬁght for eyeballs) • It tells a story (communication)

“Chrono-Zoom”, Maps and other topicsPot-Pourri

April 17, 2012 – Michael Porath

Tuesday, April 17, 12

Chrono-ZoomProject Presentation


Cartography

• This is just a sneak peak

• Cartography is a whole discipline of its own

What’s the intent?


Categories of Maps3 Types


Dot MapVisualizing specific points

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League

Nominal data

Arranged by Latitude/Longitude




Dot MapExample: Crimespotting

Problem?

http://sanfrancisco.crimespotting.org


http://sanfrancisco.crimespotting.org/

http://sanfrancisco.crimespotting.org/

Dot MapClustering, e.g. k-means algorithm

95

4


Dot MapUsing k-means Clustering

http://www.trulia.com/crime/





























Dot Mapk-means Clustering





MarkersWhich ones?


Google Maps Markers


Choropleth Maps


Choropleth MapDefinition

“areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map” (Wikipedia)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2009/jan/14/uselections2008-obama-white-house




Choropleth MapProblems

DensityTotal Population of 2000 Block Groups

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choropleth_map




Choropleth MapProblems

DensityWhitespaceDifferent sizes

Teen Abortion Rates (%), 1996


Choropleth Map AlternativesTeen Abortion Rates (%), 1996

Better, but not as engaging

Alternatives?Improvements?


Isarithmic Map


Isarithmic / Isopleth MapDrawing borders of same intervals

http://enb150-2011f-nl.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html




ExampleNational Geographic Education

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map


http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/?lg=7&b=0&f=129&bbox=-39.24910,-16.38339,127.39153,55.72711&ar_a=1&ls=810007&t=1

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/?lg=7&b=0&f=129&bbox=-39.24910,-16.38339,127.39153,55.72711&ar_a=1&ls=810007&t=1

Hybrids


NY Times 2010 Census MapHybrid between Choropleth and Dot Map


VoronoiMapProximity to In-N-Out

Burger locations

http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~fycheng/in-n-out-voronoi.png




Tips to Improve Your Maps


How can you improve your maps?Tone down map features if the visualization is in the data


How can you improve your maps?There are alternatives to Google Maps

http://polymaps.org/

http://lea"et.cloudmade.com/

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

Traces, UI, API, etc.Open source; Under heavy development

UI, Layers, etc. Open source; Under heavy development

API, Image/vector layersOpen source; Under heavy development

API, Image/vector layers, Markers

http://mapbox.com/tilemill/

GIS Library; Allows to make your own very custom mapsOpen source


http://polymaps.org

http://polymaps.org

http://leaflet.cloudmade.com

http://leaflet.cloudmade.com

http://www.openstreetmap.org

http://www.openstreetmap.org



Finding Data SetsStrategies


Finding dataThe needle in the haystack

Open Government Data Product APIs

Third Party Data Providers Anywhere

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccacnorthlib/4131837946/sizes/z/in/photostream/


http://data.worldbank.org


http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://dev.fitbit.com/









https://developer.foursquare.com/





















http://www.datasf.org










https://dev.twitter.com/


http://www.infochimps.com/













http://www.socrata.com/



http://www.factual.com/









http://stats.oecd.org






Finding dataYour projects?

Open Government Data Product APIs

Third Party Data Providers Anywhere





http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov

http://data.gov










































































What qualifies as a good visualization?





• It doesn’t distort the data




• It is engaging (in order to win the fight for eyeballs)





• It tells a story (communication)






• It serves a specific user intent (analysis / interaction)






• It serves a specific user intent (analysis / interaction)

• It addresses our perceptive capabilities


Recap


Show & Tellhttp://maps.stamen.com/#terrain

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/10/nyregion/20100110-net"ix-map.html

http://modi.mech.columbia.edu/nycenergy/

http://ilovecharts.tumblr.com/BenGreenman

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/columns/ben-greenmans-graphs-about-charts-and-charts-about-graphs


http://maps.stamen.com/#terrain/12/37.7706/-122.3782

http://maps.stamen.com/#terrain/12/37.7706/-122.3782

http://maps.stamen.com/%23terrain/12/37.7706/-122.3782

http://maps.stamen.com/%23terrain/12/37.7706/-122.3782

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/01/10/nyregion/20100110-netflix-map.html






















Next WeekVisualization Critique

• No lecture (aside from wrapping up the semester)

• Mandatory for all teams

• Come prepared with a working prototype

• I’ll check in with each group


Documents

Pot-Pourriblogs.ischool.berkeley.edu/i247s12/files/2012/04/13-Potpourri.pdf · 13/04/2012 · • It is engaging (in order to win the ﬁght for eyeballs) • It tells a story (communication)