Visualization Design

In this assignment, you will design a visualization for a small data set and provide a rigorous rationale for your design choices. You should in theory be ready to explain the contribution of every pixel in the display.

Data Set: U$.$S$.$ Population, $1900$ vs$.2000$

Every $10$ years, the census bureau documents the demographic make$-$up of the United States,

influencing everything from congressional districting to social services. This dataset contains a high$-$level summary of census data for two years a century apart: $1900$ and $2000.$ The data is a CSV $($comma$-$separated values$)$ file that describes the U$.$S$.$ population in terms of year, reported sex $(1$: male, $2$:female$),$ age group $($binned into $5$ year segments from $0-4$ years old up to $90+$ years old$),$ and the total count of people per group. There are $38$ data points per year, for a total of $76$ data points.

Your Tasks

$1.$ Start by choosing a question you'd like a visualization to answer.

$2.$ Design a static visualization $($i$.$e$.,$ a single image$)$ that you believe effectively answers that

question, and use the question as the title of your graphic.

$3.$ Provide a short write$-$up $($no more than $4$ paragraphs$)$ describing your design.

While you must use the data set given, you are free to transform the data as you see fit. Such transforms may include $($but are not limited to$)$ log transformation, computing percentages or averages, grouping elements into new categories, or removing unnecessary variables or records. You are also free to incorporate external data as you see fit. Your chart image should be interpretable without recourse to your short write$-$up$.$ Do not forget to include title, axis labels or legends as needed!

As different visualizations can emphasize different aspects of a data set, you should document what aspects of the data you are attempting to most effectively communicate. In short, what story are you trying to tell? Just as important, also note which aspects of the data might be obscured or down$-$played due to your visualization design.

In your write$-$up$,$ you should provide a rigorous rationale for your design decisions. Document the

visual encodings you used and why they are appropriate for the data and your specific question. These decisions include the choice of visualization type, size, color, scale, and other visual elements, as well as the use of sorting or other data transformations. How do these decisions facilitate effective communication?