This Data Visualization project shows the harmful effects of climate change in our immediate lives.
This project introduced me into the area of humanistic data visualization. Using a combination of digital and analog techniques, I learned how data can be an effective storytelling medium.
Honorary Award - 2020 AIGA Blue Ridge Flux Award
Award - Pennsylvania State University: Institute of Sustainability
To communicate the harmful impacts of climate change, I started with the understanding that climate change is more often a phenomenon that cannot be visualized by the human eye on a daily basis. Since information on the effects of climate change is readily available, it was important to parse through different data sets and craft a story that was impactful as well as relatable.
Since global warming is changing our lives little by little in subtle ways, it was important to me that the visualization helped viewers find a connection between how the global impact of climate change was tied into our daily lives. This led to my primary research question :
“ How can data show us invisible truths about the environment?”
Which led me to the larger question :
“ How can data show us invisible truths about our own lives? “
Through this project, I realized that a dataset is a story - and it has the capability to have conversations about some of the most important topics of today.
It was important to find existing connections to weave a story that communicated the direness of our situation today. With the help of Penn State University's Centre for Pollination Research, I was able to get a hold of multiple data sets that showed the following :
1. The slow increase in temperatures across terrains
2. The increase and decrease of species due to the changing environment
3. The increase in pollutants in our atmosphere.
While looking through these data sets, I identified three topics that had intrinsic connections to one another.
This research led to some surprising findings and connections. I learned that with the increase in global warming, the number of days in spring is also increasing over the years. This in turn leads to an increase in the pollen content in the atmosphere which contributes to the reduction in air quality. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of respiratory diseases affecting adults and children alike.
To visualize this story in the most engaging way possible, I was intent on creating a visual language that is approachable and warm. Since data can often be intimidating, I wanted to incorporate an organic nature to the visualization which would also serve viewers to find an unconscious link between the environment and their own bodies.
I took inspiration from the forms, shapes and colors present in the natural environment around us.
My sketches focussed on creating beauty along with a strong link to natural forms and an emphasis on soft colors.
During the prototyping phase, I created different iterations of the same data. This helped me understand which specific style appealed more to viewers and how to simplify the data to its bare minimum.
In the final visualization, I hand plotted the elements and data points. before compiling them together digitally. This approach allowed me to maintain accuracy without losing the humanistic quality that data can sometimes lack.
Pastel shades of yellow were used to visualize the pollen content in the environment while the red spots showed the number of deaths in adults and children because of respiratory disorders.
