Introduction to Data Visualisation

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Computer Science

Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero

The food of chiefs/leaders is speech/dialogue.

Data visualisation is the way we turn numbers into visuals (like charts, graphs, maps, and infographics) so people can understand information quickly. It helps us spot patterns, compare options, and tell a clear story with data.

You see data visualisation everywhere: weather apps, sports stats, social media “wrapped” summaries, news articles, school reports, fitness trackers, and even in advertising. Because visuals are so powerful, the choices you make (chart type, scale, colour, labels) can change what people notice, and what they believe. That’s why good data visualisation is about being clear, fair, and accurate, not just “making it look cool”.

Let's Create an Infographic!

We’re collecting class data to find patterns and share insights through an infographic. An infographic (information graphic) is a visual representation of data, information, or knowledge, combining images, charts, diagrams, and minimal text to present complex ideas quickly and clearly, making them easy to understand and share. They tell a story or explain processes by leveraging the brain's ability to process visuals faster than text, simplifying intricate subjects for wider audiences.

Task 1 - Fill out the Survey

Click on this link to full out the survey. It is anonymous and will give you some interesting data to work with.

*** Some of these question will link to NZ or Worldwide data for you to compare with. Stats NZ is a great place for some facts

Did you know:

27 September is the most common birthday
the 10 most common birthdays all appear in the 13-day period from 22 September to 4 October
the least common birthday is 25 December (apart from 29 February, which only occurs in leap years)

Source: Analysis of births, to mothers resident in New Zealand, data from 1980 to 2023 https://www.stats.govt.nz/tools/most-common-birthday-in-new-zealand/

Task 2 - Check out the Data

Here's the link to the results from the survey.

Tabs along the bottom will pull out the individual questions.

Think about:

what data could be interesting to use
what data groups together for a theme
what data links to a national or international stat/fact i.e most common birthday or how many hours of sleep on average 13 years get

Task 3 - Do some research and Explore the data

Have a look at some infographics and how they represent data
Look at the survey data and choose 3 - 5 questions that will make interesting visuals
Watch the video on the right to work out what type of graphs are best to use for the data you are looking to use.
Think about how you could represent the data as not all questions need a chart. You will see that lots of infographics use icons / sybmols to make data interesting so have a look at the questions and find one you could represent with graphics.
Think about how you could theme your infographic and data
Does any of your data follow a NZ or Worldwide trend i.e. the most common birthday for you to have a written element added

The Poppy Field is an independent project – a reflection on human life lost in war.

Check out the interactive here https://www.poppyfield.org/

Task 4 - Plan & Design the Infographic

Use the template you are provided with to plan and design your infographic.

You need to:

Decide the infographic focus

Include what data you are going to use and how you will display it
Make sure you meet the requirements
Sketch your layout and design

Do a “design choice check” for your chosen questions:

How could you represent the question? Is this the only way?
What labels are you going to use - they need to be clear and readable
Is the scale fair, making sure we don't exaggerate differences?
What colours easy to tell apart (and still readable for colour-vision differences)?
Overall does it look cohesive

Task 5 - Build the Infographic using Canva

Check out this infographic tutorial by Canva.

For the infographics we are making, choose a template that is portrait and focused on showing data (rather than a timeline style). This is a good place to start. Look for one that you like the layout of as it is easy to change colours and graphics.

Now get creating.

Head back to your plan and design, remember it doesn't have to look exactly like your design but should be similar.

Make sure you have the key aspects and check them off your planning checklist.