TENZER VISUALIZATION CONTEST
FALL 2024
Embedded Files
Show us what you see!
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
The Tenzer Visualization Contest for Fall 2024 is created for all current DePauw students. It involves participants using the Tableau Public visualization platform to create an interactive dashboard for a provided data set. The data visualization skills that you'll learn, practice and improve are practical and can be applied throughout your tenure at DePauw and/or post-DePauw as a professional. This contest is suitable for students who have never created any type of visualization and/or have never used the Tableau platform. Your results will be kept confidential (being shared only with Tenzer personnel and the judges) so please don't be shy to try!
For this contest, we decided to get creative - giving a nod to our newly opened Creative School - while acknowledging and leveraging modern AI. Set 100+ years in the future, this fictional data set details the most famous battles from the alien invasion of 2080. Each row represents a single battle and includes data such as the date of the attack, the country attacked, its continent, the number of human deaths, the number of alien deaths, as well as details about the primary alien ship, weapon, and commander. This data was generated using ChatGPT in July 2024 and then only slightly modified by Tenzer personnel. We have done minimal analysis and look forward to you uncovering patterns or fun results. Show us what you see!
Tableau Public
Tableau Public
For this contest, you are required to use the Tableau Public software and online sharing platform. Tableau Public is free to everyone and available for PC and Mac. Click the icon to the left to sign up for a free account and then download the software and post your visualization to your portfolio.
Dataset
Dataset
For the first time in a Tenzer visualization contest, you'll be using fictional data about an alien invasion generated by AI.
Ready to submit your visualization?
Ready to submit your visualization?
Press the icon here to submit your awesome data visualization! Make sure to fill in all of the fields and watch your email for the results.
EXAMPLES & INSPIRATION
EXAMPLES & INSPIRATION
Please see previous Tenzer Visualization Contests pages:
GETTING STARTED
GETTING STARTED
First time using Tableau? Don't worry! Many other students were in your shoes over the past few years, and they still competed, learned new skills, and represented themselves well. Tenzer director Michael Boyles hosted a kickoff workshop for the Summer 2022 contest, which was open to incoming first-year students. You are invited to view it here and watch director Boyles introduce the center and then walk through the most basic features and functions of the Tableau Public software while creating a working example. While that workshop used a different data set, the topics covered relate very well, and the data is similar. Please also see the subsequent questions for additional tutorials and videos from Tableau. Finally, we have a growing community of DePauw students who have used Tableau so you might even consider talking to a friend or classmate.
Learning Tableau skills
Learning Tableau skills
Here is the online How-to Videos page for Tableau Public.
And here is the online Free Training Videos page from Tableau Desktop. Tableau Desktop is technically a separate software, but most of its features that you may leverage for this contest work similarly in Tableau Public. The Getting Started and Mapping sections should be sufficient for this contest.
Understanding Requirements
Understanding Requirements
The goal of this exercise is to use the provided data set to create and post an interactive dashboard to Tableau Public. You can tell whatever story interests you and highlight whatever data you want. In order to be considered for prizes, your visualization (an interactive dashboard) must meet the following minimum criteria:
Use the provided data set (see above)
Contain at least two separate but related charts
Set the size of your dashboard as “Desktop Browser<1000x800>” and ensure it is visible to anyone using the link that you submit
Give your data visualization a single main title (which captures the essence of the dashboard as a whole)
Include your name and expected DPU class year in the dashboard itself or in the metadata description box.
Include a text box (small font is fine) on your dashboard, or add the following note to your metadata description box… “Data generated by ChatGPT in July 2024 and then slightly modified by Tenzer personnel."
Your dashboard can focus on numbers, geography, alien characteristics, etc. There are lots of possibilities. Be creative. Just be sure to use the provided data and meet the above minimum criteria. You do not need to use all of this data; in fact, doing so would likely result in a lower quality dashboard.
Lastly, you may take inspiration from any number of sources, but plagiarism in any form will disqualify participants from this contest. We want to see your ideas and skills, not someone else's work!
CRITICAL INFORMATION
CRITICAL INFORMATION
Do I need to have a prior experience with Tableau?
Do I need to have a prior experience with Tableau?
Definitely not! Our goal is to encourage and promote your learning new technology and data visualization skills. These are valuable, real-world skills which can be leveraged in future DePauw classes, independent projects, internships or your professional life after you’ve left the University. Only basic computer skills are assumed; no knowledge of programming or statistics is required: students from all majors are encouraged to participate. This contest is designed to get you started with Tableau while also providing a fun opportunity to work with DePauw related data.
When is the submission deadline?
When is the submission deadline?
The submission form will close at 11:59 pm ET on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. We will not accept late entries.
Who can participate?
Who can participate?
This contest is open to all current DePauw students.
OTHER QUESTIONS
OTHER QUESTIONS
How will the visualizations be judged?
How will the visualizations be judged?
Judging will focus on clarity, accuracy, creativity and aesthetics, but it will be very friendly and forgiving. Here are some recommendations:
Prepare and present a concise and accurate story; focus.
Ensure you have an accurate title and perhaps a short description.
Think creatively and bring your own style; even seemingly small things like color choices and layout can have a big impact and will help separate your visualization.
Less material that is clearly presented with clean aesthetics is usually better than multiple clumsy charts that don’t coalesce.
Awards and Announcements?
Awards and Announcements?
We intend to have at least one grand prize, other top finishers, and perhaps honorable mentions as well. Prize packs will be determined later and may feature technology equipment and/or DePauw swag, gear or clothing.
Winners will be announced via email and on this page in the subsequent days after the deadline.
How many entries can one student submit?
How many entries can one student submit?
We will only judge one submission from each student. If you make 2 or more submissions, we'll simply use the most recent while ignoring the others.
Do I have to make my visualizations public?
Do I have to make my visualizations public?
Your visualization only needs to be visible to anyone with the direct URL (so that we can view and judge it). We won't share or post your visualization without your explicit consent. If you have any doubts or concerns about it being viewed more broadly or with random people finding it (i.e., what we typically refer to as public), just list it as “not visible" on your Tableau Public portfolio. This will ensure that only people with the direct URL can view it.
Can I use another data set during this competition?
Can I use another data set during this competition?
No. You are expected to use the provided data set as it is given. Use of any other dataset is subject to disqualification from the contest.
Any additional advice and tips?
Any additional advice and tips?
Now that you have read this far down the page, here are some additional tips on creating a better visualization to win! Data visualization is used to create a narrative while also allowing the audience to view and draw insights and form their own story with the data.
Here is a very useful link to better understand the skill of creating a better visualization. Read through the material and try to implement it in your visualizations. Below listed are some other tips which can be of help.
Accuracy and clarity are critical, but artistic expression and aesthetics are also important
Less material that is clearly presented is often better than a bunch of seemingly random charts that don’t coalesce
Focus on telling a story; do not try to impress us by demonstrating a bunch of Tableau features and functions
Even seemingly small things like color choices and layout can have a big impact and will help separate your visualization
Check your work carefully; ask yourself how each chart, title, color, font, data point, etc. is contributing to your visualization
Need further help?
Need further help?
If you have any other questions about the contest or Tableau, please feel free to contact director Boyles at michaelboyles@depauw.edu.
" I never lose. I either win or learn."
" I never lose. I either win or learn."
Nelson Mandela
We, at the Tenzer Technology Center, are looking forward to seeing your visualizations!
We, at the Tenzer Technology Center, are looking forward to seeing your visualizations!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS
Grand Prize Winner: Nguyen Tien Khanh Truong '28
Runner-up: Vinh Huynh '27
Honorable Mentions: Nam Khanh Hoang '25 & Hoang Nhat Uyen Ngo '28
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