network mapping & data storytelling for beginners
DESCRIPTION
5-hour Workshop about network mapping and data storytelling. This includes examples about data, networks, visualization, etc. Given on Jan 31st, 2013 during a lecture in the Master Information, Technology and Territories in the Institute of Geography and Social Sciences, Toulouse 2 University. France. Many thanks to @graphcommons for the inspiration.TRANSCRIPT
Clément
Renaud
DATA & VISUALIZATION
INVESTIGATING
COMPLEX TERRITORIES
Toulouse 2 University - Oct 2013 @clemsos
#
data
journalism
visualization
social networks
urbanity
China
Clément Renaud
phD Social networks and urban
spaces in China
Co-founder Sharism Lab
@sharismlab
sharismlab.com
@clemsos
www.clementrenaud.com
ABOUT ME
What is data and
how people use it
How it relates to
territories
Showcase some
examples
Introduce tools
Achievement
MAP A NETWORK
1) Identify a case
2) Find data you need
3) Map it
TODAY CLASS: OBJECTIVES
Data Morning
Some definitions
Data & territories
Workshop: Network mapping
Viz Afternoon
Visualization
Tools gallery
Workshop: Visualize it
Duration:
2x3h
Materials:
Slides (here)
Notes
TODAY CLASS: DETAILS
PART 1 :
Definitions
DATA,
NETWORKS,
ETC.
DATA :
- Factual information, especially information organized
for analysis or used to reason or make decisions
- Information output by a sensing device or organ that
includes both useful and irrelevant or redundant
information and must be processed to be meaningful
- Information in numerical form that can be digitally
transmitted or processed
From Merr iam-Webster
WHAT IS DATA?
Look at those
SOME
DATA
Written info in huge amounts
Quantification of its subject / object
Storage - in computers databases
Can be processed by machines
Huge trend in early 21st Century:
business, ad, indsutry, science, etc.
DATA=DIGITAL INFORMATION
Objectivize things to provide new understanding
A « facts are sacred » approach towards complex questions and problem-solving
Apply scientific method to interrogate any kind of beings, objects, ideas, etc.
WHAT IS AT STAKE WITH DATA?
HANDLE COMPLEXITY
Linked Data Cloud
Problem:
Most of data is made by machines,
for machines.
How can we access it?
How can we understand it?
HANDLE COMPLEXITY
1. Statistics: Studying
2. Data Munging: Suffering
3. Visualization: Storytelling
From raw data
to images
THE DATA
SCIENCE
METHOD
Mike @dataspora , Sexy Data Geeks. 2009
Methodology for invest igat ion
Examples:
DNA
Bra in s tud ies
Soc ia l Networks Analys is
…
DATA
SCIENCE
datajournal ism
handbook.org
DATA
JOURNALISM
“The brain doesn’t just process information
that comes though the eyes. It also creates
mental visual images that allow us to
reason and plan actions that facilitate
survival.”
VISUALIZATION
A. Cairo, The Functional Art - 2013
NETWORKS STRUCTURE
http://www.aaronkoblin.com/work/flightpatterns/
Visual izat ion of my professional network us ing L inkedin Labs
Facebook network graph can be generated us ing
Netvizz
NETWORK
The Seat t le Band Map explores how bands f rom the Paci f ic Nor thwest are in terconnected through persona l re la t ionships and co l labora t ions .
h t tp : / /www.seat tlebandmap.com/
SEATTLE
BAND
MAP
Muse is an
in teract ive
visual izat ion of
sc ient i f ic
publ icat ions to
explore the
col laborat ions
between
ins t i tut ions .
h t tp: / / t i l lnagel .
com/2010/11/m
use/
MUSE
Mapping 2005-
2011 Kiva
act iv i ty (micro-
loans and
payback)
Video f rom
ht tp: / /v imeo.co
m/28413747
KIVA
MAP
PART 2 :
WORKSHOP NETWORK MAPPING
The model of a network is everywhere :
cities, DNA, social relationships, Internet,
etc.
Question is : « What connects? » - and how.
What is this strange relationship that links
data to networks?
SURROUNDED BY NETWORKS
MAP THE CLASSROOM AS A NETWORK
WHAT CONNECTS IN THIS CLASSROOM?
Questions:
What is the structure of the network?
What are the different kinds of data we can identify?
How is the data produced? exchanged?
IDENTIFY A NETWORK
MAP YOUR OWN NETWORK !
Civil Society NGO-STK-Network Workshop in Istanbul by @graphcommons
Transmission Networks Something actually flows.
Interaction Networks Connection is an event, with a specific time.
Attribution Networks Connection is an expression of a relationship.
Affiliation Networks Connection is a belonging to a group or category.
CONNECTIONS
Objectives
Identify an interesting network related to a specific
territory
Ex: Food waste in Toulouse, actors in job research,
etc.
Deliveries
Draw an extensive map of this network
Use colors, dots, line, weight to represent things
MAP YOUR OWN NETWORKS
Where to start a graph?
You can start with the first thing that comes to your mind, then grow and tweak the map step by step from there.
Where to stop a graph?
Putting a definit ive graph title and considering only the strong connections help to limit your network map's scope.
Connection weight Strong connections bring closer the two end nodes, and reveal tight clusters. In fact, strong ties are more transitive than weak ties.
Collaborative mapping more fruitful and complete graphs, in fact, it is great for brain storming
SOME DIRECTIVES
From http://graphcommons.com
GRAPHIC
STORIES
DATA,
IMAGES
AND TERRITORIES
What is the story you want
to tell us?
The example of the Arab
Spring
Te l l your s tory
What is the
speci f ic focus
you want to
take out o f th is
data set?
DATA
VISUALIZA
TION
Arab spr ing: an
in teract ive
t imel ine of
Middle East
protests
See l ive on
the Guardian
EVENTS
TIMELINE
In format ion
Flows Dur ing
the 2011
Tunis ian and
Egypt ian
Revolut ions
h t tp: / /www.dan
ah.org/projects
/ IJOC-
ArabSpr ing/
THE
REVOLUTIONS
WERE
TWEETED
Spanish f ront
page
newspaper
analys is dur ing
the Arab
Spr ing
h t tp: / /www. ieca
h.org/web/visu
al /eg ipto- l ib ia-
s i r ia-otros.htm
NEWSPAPER
ANALYSIS
Wikipedia
Edi ts Dur ing
the Middle-
East Protests
ht tp: / /www.yout
ube.com/watch
?v=z3Wo22j l4A
c
WIKIPEDIA
EDITS
Ident i fy
d i f ferences
and common
points?
What are key
elements to
success in
each p iece?
How has the
data been
produced?
IS THIS
THE SAME
STORY?
OTHER RECENTS EVENTS
Sandy storm - Power Cut Blackout map based on Tweets by Social Flow
Crisis management
Urban planning
Transportation
Transparency
Participation
Recollection
Space design
Coverage
Etc.
IMPORTANCE OF DATA LOCALLY
NYC Subway Map Update
Made publicly
available (release,
access,
documentation…)
Open Data is not
only governmental
data
Mutual economic
interests
Open government
initiative
Code for America
US political tradition
based on
accountability
Obama campaign has
http://www.data.gov/
ABOUT OPEN DATA
OpenData 71
Top-down initiative
Public funding
National target
Cons
Nobody use this data
Unsustainable
Pros
Nice data platform
Rennes Collective Action
Citizen-based
No funding
Local target
Cons
Illegal practices
Unclear program
Pros
Data is in use
OPEN DATA IN FRANCE
BASICS
&
METHODS VISUALIZATION
Objectives: extract, process, visualize, publish
Tools : Web-based, softwares, languages
WORKFLOW: CREATE A DATAVIZ
Ben Fry, Computational Design. 2004
A story tends to
1. begin somewhere
2. tell something
3. end.
These apply for a map, a graph, a visualization, etc.
You may find data in weird places.
Draft, draft, draft
Chose your tools based on your (team) skil ls.
Mind the time spent!
Be kind to your readers
DEFINE A DATAVIZ PROJECT
How it should work:
1. Define project
2. Find data
3. Draft something visual
4. Define tools & time
5. Clean and refine data
6. Visualize
7. Publish
8. Promote
How it really works
1. Great, I have some nice data/a bri l l iant idea !
2. Let’s try some tools
3. Well, I just waste 3 hours on tutorials
4. I should do something easier
5. Another 2 hours on google
6. What was this bri l l iant idea again?
7. I should post this l ink on Facebook
8. I t ’s late already. Let’s just forget about this dataviz thing….
STEP BY STEP
GEEK
GALLERY TOOLS ARE EVIL.
Easy maps & graph
GOOGLE FUSION TABLES
Example
WEB-BASED:
ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/
SOFTWARE:
Graphic design and vectors
Draw Beautiful Maps
TILEMILL
http://mapbox.com/tilemill/gallery/
SOFTWARE:
GEPHI SOFTWARE:
Photoshop for Network Graph
Statistics on Steroids
R LANGUAGE:
PROCESSING LANGUAGE:
Interactive Awesomeness
WORKSHOP DATA STORYTELLING
IN PRACTICE
Based on your network map, imagine a specific story
you want to tell or a specific idea you want to
investigate with data.
A story
A title
A visualization draft
A list of possible data sources & how to get it Where to find interesting?
Can you access it? If not, imagine a way to get this data
Licensing, ownership & privacy issues
DESIGN A VISUALIZATION!
5 min Presentation
You have to put together a 5 min presentation
about your data story
You have to show:
A story
A title
A visualization draft
How do you plan to get your data?
(Some existing data, if possible)
YOUR DATA STORY
Pros
What is so great about
this presentation?
Cons
Why is this presentation
so awful?
COURT OF ATTENDEES
For each presentation, we split the attendees in 2 groups: pros & cons
The groups should change each time (one time pros, one time cons).
SEE YOU
ONLINE
@clemsos
THANKS !
BYE