The Big Mac Index

Hello, this is for the class of CS 424: Visualization and Visual Analytics. In recent projects, we have focused on taking data-files and turning them into meaningful graphs and interactive data. As engineers, we learn to show accurate data an numbers, but in this class, we learn to show data that is easy to comprehend for people of all studies; And most importantly, show data in a way that is significant and conveys a message that is a clear and effective .

This graph is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity (PPP), which focuses on the equalness of currency. In the graph above, we can see how different states currency compare to other states. Knowing this important and can have an effect in peoples lives. If a soda drink cost 10 Yuan and 1 Dollar in the US; But then China later devalues it currency, the soda drink will still be priced at 10 Yuan, but will now cost the US 50 cents. This in turn causes a country with devalued currency to export more.

The data was obtained from the Datastream Macroeconomics Analysis, which is a company that focuses on collecting global data for economist, researchers, and analysts.

This graph is very user friendly. In the left bar, we can see countrys currency ordered by most valued to least valued, alongside with a a graph that shows the country currency fluctuation over time. In the right, we have two graphs. In the first graph, we can see how a country currency compared to other country currently. In the second graph, we can see how a selected countrys currency fluctuates over a span of 20 years.

The type of questions people will ask are, what was a coutries currency in this year and how has it changed over time. A user can easily select a country and track its progress over time.

If a user asks, "What was china's currency rate compared to the rest of the world in the year 2010?", a user can select the base currency, change it to China, and compare it to the rest of the world