CMSC110 Assignment #5

CMSC110 (Introduction to Computing)

Fall 2015

Assignment#5

Select Data Set by Fri, Oct 30, 2015

Due before start of class on Mon, Nov 9, 2015

First, read Chapter 5 from GXK.

Task: Develop a processing program that enables a user to visualize some time series data. Your program should allow the major trends in the time series to be easily visible. Additionally, your program should allow for some form of interaction between the user and the data (some ideas are given below in step 7).

Your program should be able to read in the time series data from a file, parse the data with Processing, and then use Processing to display the data in a clear and aesthetically pleasing manner. You should consult Chapter 5 of GXK to get some ideas for effective methods of visualizing time series (e.g. line charts, bar charts, heat maps, etc.). However, you are by no means limited to the formats presented in the GXK chapter. Above all, the choice of visualization format should be informed by the story that you want to tell about your particular time series data.

Don't be afraid to be creative! Visual enhancements that don't necessarily convey additional information but make the presentation of the data more interesting and aesthetically pleasing are encouraged.

Steps for developing interactive data visualization:

Acquire the data set as one or more files
(Email me a description of your data set and the source by Friday, Oct 30, 2015).
You should select a dataset that lends itself to telling an interesting story through visualization. Data sources are plentiful: web sites, technical articles, or collect your own data. Find something that interests you. Make sure the data set is not too small, i.e., make sure the data has some statistical significance. Your data set should have at least 100 data points.
1. You may want to obtain data from one of the following sites that serve as data clearinghouses:
  - data.gov time series:Data about United States
  - datamarket.com time series: Time Series Data Library
  - ec.europa.eu: Europe economy time series
  - physionet.org: Physiological data.
  - google.com: Time series data
2. Alternatively, here are some timeseries datasets that you may want to use (you do not have to use one of these!):
  - Product usage data: web browser popularity (also see here for more data).
  - Demographic data: popularity of various names in the U.S.
  - Economic data: U.S. GDP (consult here for more economic time series).
  - Weather data: Philadelphia snowfall by year.
  - Stock market data: data from the book irrational exuberance.
Clean up the data file so that it is readable by a computer program.
- This can usually be done in a text editor
- This may mean replacing comments with special numeric codes, inserting/removing data value delimiters, etc.
Filter the data down to the portion that interests you.
- Remove unwanted columns, headers, footers, etc.
Explore the data set for interesting properties.
- Use Processing, the web site, or a spreadsheet to view different parts of the data with plots
- Find the aspect(s) of your data set that you want to highlight using your visualization.
- Apply any statistical methods or numerical analysis that are appropriate.
Select a visual representation that best illustrates your data set and implement it.
- Plan your representation before trying to code it.
- Draw from all the graphical techniques that you have learned so far.
- Make sure to try out all of the examples from the book and think about a variation that would work for the way you would like tell your data story.
Refine your visualization.
- Modify your program until it communicates your message at a glance.
Make your visualization interactive and/or animated.
Here are a few ideas for how you might add an interactive element to your sketch:
- Use text to display the exact value of a datapoint when the mouse hovers over the relevant portion of the visualization.
- Zoom in on a particular segment of the time series by clicking the mouse on a segment of a line graph.
- Toggle the appearance of a moving average line with the click of a button.
- Pop up a textbox that shows extra information when clicking or hovering over an object
- animate objects to change shape, size or color to highlight a portion of the data based on typing a letter

Remember to pay special attention to the aesthetic aspects of your design as well as interactivity.

Extra Credit: Up to 20 extra points will be awarded based on students who create projects that significantly expand upon the requirements of the assignment. This part of the assignment is totally open-ended, and you are welcome to discuss ideas with us. One example of an extension that would merit up to 10 points of extra credit would be to collect a second time series and overlay it on the first. The second time series should help the user better understand the causes of the trends in the first time seres (for instance when graphing first class mail volume, one might include a graph of e-mail volume overlayed on the same plot).

What to Hand in:

In a folder named "A5", put an electronic copy of
1. a short description/reflection of your experience and your intent.
2. the source code (your entire sketch folder)
3. a gif,jpg, or png image of your finished sketch.
Zip the A5 folder and submit it to Moodle.