Description:
[video 4 begin]
Now let's go into greater detail on using the acronym ASK by evaluating this infographic created by the US Department of Transportation.
https://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/infographic-role-transportation-promoting-physical-activity)
First, let’s examine the infographic for Accuracy:
•Where did the data come from? The infographic provides a section at the bottom that includes citations from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and the Journal of Public Health Policy. As a viewer, we can evaluate the accuracy of the data presented by looking up these citations and reading the original research studies. By reading the original research studies, we can evaluate the methodologies used in the studies and ensure the infographic is not misrepresenting the data.
Next, let’s look at the Story the visualization is telling:
•What is the story the visualization is trying to tell? The headline of the infographic is the role of transportation in promoting physical activity. The infographic highlights four particular categories of transportation (sidewalks, traffic calming, bike facilities, and public transportation) that contribute to greater physical activity among the population. The visualization provides an easy way for the viewer to contextualize the data by providing visual representations of someone walking their dog on a sidewalk, speed bumps, a child riding a bicycle, and a man catching the bus. These visual cues help the viewer understand the data by presenting a picture of a community that has multiple transportation features that contribute to physical activity.
Finally, what Knowledge does the viewer walk away with?
•The visualization presents four key data points that help the viewer understand how transportation affects physical activity. The viewer has an image in their mind of a community with transportation that is conducive to increased physical activity; the viewer can use this imagery to reflect upon potential transportation needs in their own community.
In addition to evaluating visualizations based on the ASK acronym, it is important to consider the purpose of a data visualization: Is the visualization meant to inform, persuade, or entertain?
The transportation infographic is an example of a visualization that is meant to inform: it provides information and facts without attempting to convince the viewer to adopt a particular belief or opinion.
A persuasive visualization presents data in order to advance an argument. The visualization might directly state the argument,, such as this visualization arguing that sitting is killing you, featuring such as “sitting increases risk of death up to 40%”
http://cdn5.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/gg/up/sshot4dc981fac5a5a.jpg
Or the visualization might be more subtle in its persuasion, such as this visualization from the American Heart Association that advances an argument for limiting sodium in restaurant food:
http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@fc/documents/image/~extract/UCM_467292~1~staticrendition/ginormous.jpg
Finally, some data visualizations are meant for entertainment only - meaning the data they present is not meant to be relied upon, such as this visualization of how to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you:
http://www.wall321.com/thumbnails/detail/20120302/cats%20humor%20guides%20funny%20bobcats%20infographics%201900x1200%20wallpaper_www.wall321.com_15.jpg
Many visualizations meant for entertainment will be much more subtle than this. When looking at any data visualization, it’s important to consider the source of the data and who the intended audience is. Are the viewers really intended to learn anything from the visualization, as with an informative visualization? Are viewers supposed to change their mind or be convinced of an opinion or belief, as with a persuasive visualization? Or is the visualization intended to be fun and entertaining, without necessarily imparting real facts or ideas?
You can use these same principles when creating your own data visualizations, which will be discussed in the next video.