CS5044: Information Visualisation
Information Visualisation
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CS5044: Information Visualisation
CS5044: Practical 2 (group work)
This practical is to be completed in groups of two students. The goal of this practical is to
collaboratively design and implement a web-based visualisation of a data set of your choice using
D3.js. Your visualisation should reflect on what you have learned about designing expressive and
effective visualisations, also considering interactivity (see, for example, Shneiderman’s visualisation
mantra [1]).
WEIGHTING AND MARK DESCRIPTORS
This practical is weighted at 50% of the coursework component (and therefore at 30% of
the overall grade). The general mark descriptors apply and can be reviewed here:
The coursework should be submitted to MMS no later than 19 April 2021; 21:00 (UK time).
MMS is the definitive source for deadline and credit details.
RULES
You are expected to work on the practical together in groups of two, following the Good Academic
Practice policy:
The University views plagiarism very seriously. Ensure that any images you choose to use as material
in your report are correctly attributed to their proper sources. Ensure that all text that you include in
your report that is not your own is correctly cited as a quotation and carries an accompanying
reference to the original source. If you make use of source code that is not your own, acknowledge
its source in the footnotes and/or references of your report.
The composition of the groups will be communicated in due course.
PRACTICAL DESCRIPTION
In this practical you will collaboratively develop a concept for a web-based visualisation and
implement it using D3.js The requirements for this practical are described below.
WEB-BASED VISUALIZATION [collaborative]
You should come up with a design and implementation of a web-based visualisation based on a data
set of your choice (the requirements on the data are specified below). Your visualisation design
should be driven by particular questions your visualisation should allow to answer and related visual
analysis tasks you would like to support (see Munzner, Chpt. 3 [2]). It is up to you to specify these
questions and tasks. Your visualisation should answer at least one open-ended question, that you
will specify in your report.
Your visualisation design should combine clarity and a creative approach to making the important
aspects of the data visible and explorable. Your visualisation will be assessed based on:
How well it suits your specified question(s) and task(s).
Your choice of visual encoding, using visual variables in an effective and expressive way (see
Munzner, Chpt. 5 [2]).
CS5044: Information Visualisation
How you support basic interactivity and tasks as specified by Shneiderman [1]. Note that not
all these low-level tasks have to be supported – this depends on your data set and questions.
However, your visualisation should at least provide an “overview” and some “details on
demand” – whatever this may mean for your particular data and visualisation.
It is completely fine to base your visualisation design on existing visualisation techniques that you
know, but make sure to name and reference these in your report.
Your visualisation concept should be the result of an ideation process in form of paper and/or digital
sketches. Your sketches should demonstrate that you have thought of multiple alternative
visualisation ideas. Your final visualisation should be presented in a way that clearly describes the
visual mapping of data, interactive features and implementation considerations.
IMPLEMENTATION
You should implement your visualisation using D3.js. The use of additional JavaScript libraries in
combination with D3.js is allowed (e.g., jQuery.js, Leaflet.js, Crossfilter.js, etc...). However, it is NOT
ok to use JavaScript libraries that are built on top of D3.js (e.g., DC.js). If you are unsure if the
libraries you would like to use are ok, please get in touch with the lecturers.
Key of this practical is that you program the visualisation yourself – the use of Tableau or Excel is ok
for sketching, but not for the final visualisation. You may use and modify code that you find online or
in books, if the license permits this. However, make sure to explicitly acknowledge and reference all
sources that you have used to implement your visualisation, both on the project webpage and in
form of code comments.
Implementing a web-based visualisation from scratch is not a trivial task. Key of this practical is to
come up with a design that is suitable to your question and data, yet easy enough to be
implemented in the provided time. It may be a good idea to come up with a simple design first and
then iteratively refine this design, adding more complex features if there is time (see Process section
further below).
The visualisation should be presented on the web using your CS web server:
[your cs user name].host.cs.st andrews.ac.uk/‐
Make sure to include an appropriate title and a brief introductory paragraph on the webpage that
introduces the visualisation and its aims. Also make sure to include appropriate labels and legends.
Your visualisation should be usable by someone who has not read the report.
Note that after the deadline no modifications to the visualisation or the underlying webpage are
allowed! All files related to the visualisation and underlying webpage have to be submitted to
MMS.
REPORT [collaborative]
Your report should include key information about the underlying data and how to read and interact
with the visualisation. The report should not exceed 1000 words in total. Make sure to provide
images and/or screenshots of your visualisation to illustrate your argument. The following sections
should be included.
DATA & QUESTIONS
CS5044: Information Visualisation
Briefly describe the data set your visualisation is based on, including key attributes and attribute
types, number of data points, etc. Describe the question(s) and visual analysis tasks that you would
like to support with your visualisation. Provide links to the original data sources (if applicable).
DESCRIPTION OF VISUALISATION
Briefly describe the design of your visualisation and how to read it: which visual variables have been
used to encode the data attributes? A clear description of how to read and interact with your
visualisation is essential. Describe and illustrate all interactive features: How do interactive elements
of your visualisation work and what effects do they have? Reference existing visualisation techniques
related to your visualisation design. You should consider this section as a manual of “how to” read
and interact with the visualisation.
IMPLEMENTATION
Briefly comment on how you have implemented your visualisation, including links and references to
any outside sources that you have used to implement your visualisation. This could be provided in
list form. Details about the implementation could also be merged with your description of the
visualisation concept; you do not necessarily have to provide a separate section.
INSIGHTS FROM THE VISUALISATION & CRITICAL DISCUSSION
Briefly describe the insights people can gather from your visualisation. Make sure to not only answer
and illustrate the questions that can be answered but also briefly describe the exploration steps
necessary to arrive at these insights. Also discuss the limitations of the visualisation (both regarding
its design and implementation) and how these could be overcome.
Make sure to provide the link to your web-based visualisation in your report.
EVIDENCE OF IDEATION PROCESS [collaborative]
In addition to the project webpage and your report, you will submit evidence of your ideation
process in form of a pdf file. Include the different visual representations and designs you came up
with before settling on a particular concept. This part of the report could consist mostly of sketches
with brief comments, but it should be clear how your process led to the final visualisation concept.
PERSONAL STATEMENT [individual]
Each group member should submit a personal statement, describing their role in this project, a brief
reflection on the visualisation process and the final resulting, and what they have learnt as part of
this practical. The personal statement should not exceed 250 words.
POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS
– A video of the visualisation which clearly and concisely describes and demonstrates its
design, interactive features, as well as insights that the visualisation provides. The video
should not exceed 3 minutes!
– Advanced interactive features such as coordinated views [3], brushing and linking, etc…
– ...
NOTES ON DATA & POTENTIAL DATA SOURCES
Your data should include at least 100 data points and four different attributes (e.g., “Country” and
“latitude” and “longitude” would count as a single attribute focusing on “location”). If in doubt talk
to the lecturer about the data you would like to work with.
CS5044: Information Visualisation
Based on the data you should come up with a question that your visualisation should enable to
explore. The question could be quite focused or more open-ended. Make sure to also consider who
is going to interact with the visualisation and what type of goals the user may want to achieve.
Potential data sources are provided below, but feel free to find other sources. Follow your interest!
When you find data that you would like to use, make sure you have the rights to use it! Look for
copyright constraints, etc…