1)–Based on the Cairo and Cohen readings, what are one or two things you want to try with your data visualizations going forward? What did you learn about info graphics.

I thought the bar graph that divided the percentages into portions was really neat, that would be something interesting to try.

I think weighted averages would be something interesting to portray in a graphic. I’m not sure how the writing would communicate what a weighted average is without sounding like an equation to some and child’s play to others.

I learned how subjective data really is; how it can be manipulated I understood the concept, but I hadn’t had it laid out that way. Especially the ethical side of it to avoid being misleading even if you’re not meaning to. I also like the compare what to who to when to where. Good little check list. I was reminded of when I mentioned the Asian Poverty percentage that was surprisingly high in one of the counties, but those percentages weren’t taking into account the total number of Asians in the county in the first place. It could be very few with a handful in poverty which would make the percentage look large. Not to say that these people aren’t important, or that the percentage isn’t worth recognizing, just that an 82% paints a picture of a huge group living in poverty in one particular county for some reason. Let the conclusion jumping begin.

2) –Based on the interviewing readings, what new techniques did you learn to help with these interviews of low income workers?

I thought the readings did a good job of giving tips to interview. Many of the things I was nodding my head along because I’ve been in situations where I’m so caught up in my prepped questions that I forget to listen. I have interrupted and learned the hard way not even to mhmm the people I’m interviewing. I used to have a bad habit of ruining their best SOT. A new concept I liked to developing questions is to consider what you need to know versus what you want to know. Then figuring out how you’ll figure it out based on that.

edits to Assignment One were made directly on that post.