Critique and Create Project 4: Points, Lines, and Trends

Introduction

As with previous projects, you’re being asked to critique a series of visualizations and then to apply best practices as you create your own. Follow along below, but ultimately do the work using the corresponding .qmd file on Posit Cloud

This project’s data

library(tidyverse)

indicators_long <- read_csv("../data/indicators_long.csv")
indicators_wide <- read_csv("../data/indicators_wide.csv")

The code chunk above gets you started by loading the required packages and data. Run it (ignoring any warnings), then take a look at indicators_wide and indicators_long to understand the kind of data they show. They show the same data, just in different formats:

indicators_long
indicators_wide

This data comes from the United Nations indicators on population growth, fertility, life expectancy and mortality, found here: data.un.org.

Assignment

Respond to the three Critique questions, then finish the two Create code chunks below, and finish with a Self-Critique.

Critique

As an example, I’ll show two visualizations of proportions that can be drawn from this data set. The polished visualization doesn’t show you the code used to create it; instead, much of the relevant code is sprinkled throughout the methods page for points, lines, and trends. As you critique, consider how the visualizations were made, and try to think about why each visualization is well or poorly made.

Rough figure

Start by considering this rough figure, including whether it is faithful to the data and how useful it might be:

indicators_wide |> 
  filter(year == 2022,
         region != "") |> 
  ggplot(aes(
    x = `Total fertility rate (children per women)`, 
    y = `Infant mortality for both sexes (per 1,000 live births)`,
    color = region)) +
  geom_point()

Compare this chart to the polished version to answer questions in the next two sections.

Polished figure

Here’s another way of showing the same data. As you compare it to the previous chart, think about the ways it is changed and how these changes affect the viewer’s ability to understand and respond to the data.

Critique the visualization

This last version of the figure changes a lot—and hopefully for the better!

You respond

When you answer the following questions, it might be helpful to consider not only Wilke’s chapter 12 but also other chapters on aesthetics and argument.

  1. These two scatter plots present the same information two different ways. In what noticeable ways has the polished version improved upon the rough draft?
  2. Which of these changes do you think made the biggest difference? How do they affect the viewer’s experience?
  3. What could still be improved in the polished version?

Create

Recreating a visualization

Taking inspiration from the above visualization on age, use the indicators data to try to emulate a polished version of the scatter plot shown above. By studying the file called 06-XY-chart-functions.qmd, you should be able to make something of nearly the same polish.

You code

Write code to recreate this polished figure as closely as you can.

Creating your own visualization

Create another chart of proportions by looking at other strategies explained in the file called 06-XY-chart-functions.qmd. You might do any one of the following, or do something else entirely:

  1. Create slope charts of countries in one region to compare rankings by one of the quantitative variables.
  2. Create a line chart to show change over time of one or more variables.
  3. Extrapolate trends in the data to project where future values might go.
You code

Write code to make your own figure, and polish it as much as you’re able.

Self-Critique

It’s helpful to learn how to acknowledge the things in our own work that we’re proud of, just as it is good to be able to point out weaker points. Reflecting through self critique is a valuable way to grow in any skill.

You respond

Explain your process and goals for the visualization you created. Critique it, including describing things that you wish you could do but that you don’t yet know how. Write at least a paragraph.