Assignment #6: Diverse Real-World Visualization: Ethics and Privacy

During the long break keep your eyes open and alert for examples of visualization in the real world. Especially be on the lookout for visualizations in unusual or unexpected contexts. Collect 5 diverse and interesting visualization artifacts. Be sure to find at least 2 artifacts that are not online. Use your cell phone or other camera to snap a picture or otherwise document each visualization example.

For each example write a paragraph or two describing:

• The author (appropriately detailed and complete bibliographic citation), context, original media format, audience, and purpose of the visualization.

• Your analysis of the positive and negative aspects of each example and its effectiveness. How could it be improved?

For each of your examples also consider if the topic or data or motivation for this visualization have potential ethical or privacy concerns. [Note: Not all 5 of your examples need to tie in with ethics & privacy, but select at least 2 that do.]

• Does this visualization "toe the line" or even violate the principles of ethics or privacy or security in visualization?

• If it does violate these principles, describe how these concerns should be alleviated.

• If it does not, describe how the same data might be used or visualized that would violate ethics or priacy.

Your assignment for this week is primarily a written document, so be sure to proofread, spell check, and grammar check your writeup. It should be complete and thoughtful, but also concise.

Target Visualization Stage: Analysis & Validation (primary) and possibly Motivation & Problem Definition, Visualization Design, and Presentation (secondary)

How to Submit

Each student should also submit the same documents plus a plaintext README.txt (using the provided template) to the homework server (homework server info).

Assignment Due: Tuesday March 20th, 11:59pm