Infographic

For this project I was to gather information on a topic that interested me and turn that data into a visually appealing info-graphic that clearly demonstrated a clear understanding of the subject matter and digital literacy.

What parts of the process became significant for you?

The most important thing to accomplish in this project for me was to present the information I had gathered in a way that made sense and looked good. I had gathered information that showed either an increase or decrease and sometimes even a consistency in what stress-relieving practices were used before and after the pandemic hit. So my first step was to turn those increases or decreases into percentages. I did this by finding the difference between the pre-pandemic value and the post-pandemic value of how many people participated in each stress relief method. I did not use every single change because some were not so surprising or drastic. The methods that remained almost the same became part of my more clever way to bring color into my infographic with animated logos. I used this idea of using logos to make my percentage data more interesting by turning the referenced method into a silhouette behind the big numbers.

What parts of your final product display the potential for good data visualization?

In my final product, I demonstrate an understanding of what catches a person’s eye. I used large, bold numbers to show my important data with a few words below to explain their meaning. I used a few different colors that pleasantly contrasted the light color I chose for the background. I did not want my hard work to remain static so I chose to use some animations to bring emphasis to some of my data. My most proud detail is the silhouettes I chose to represent each stress-relief practice since they are not too showy but give to make the numbers on top pop.

MLK Project

This project was constructed to perfect my literary analysis skills while observing Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter he wrote from his prison cell.

Observations:

In his very first paragraph, Dr. King refers to his critics in a manner that can only be described as respectful. Throughout his career to end racial injustice, Dr. King remained steadfast in his beliefs in non-violent actions. He battled every day with the system that tried to suppress him without ever raising his voice. In class on September the third we discussed how parallels were made between Dr. King marching towards the enemy knowing he would be captured and Jesus Christ on Good Friday when he was betrayed and captured. Both of these mythically compassionate men knew what hardships were before them but marched onwards anyway so that their people could know peace and happiness. To reference the Dirk reading about genre analysis, one can assume that the general notion Dr. King preached to the nation and words he wrote while imprisoned was one of love and compassion to people of every color, nationality, and background. 

Comments:

In the third paragraph, Dr. King references The Bible and the apostle Paul openly in spite of his situation being very similar to Paul’s. The fact that The Bible was referenced by such an important person during this era marks how important religion was to people everywhere. Using The Bible as reference material provided Dr. King with more power and influence over the people who he was trying to add to his army of devoted followers of racial justice. If someone of political importance were to reference the words and teachings of religion today in hopes for more influence over younger people to incite change in the world for racial justice I am unsure they would be nearly as successful. So few people believe in the word of God compared to back then that the words he said may as well be mumbled to the ears of today’s youth. The ultimate message that should be heard over loudspeakers and screamed by crowds is that all people should love all people.

Questions:

I often wonder if problems would be easier to solve if there was one person to blame for them. In the case of Birmingham, Dr. King sought the defeat of Mr. Conner and his tyrannical reign of oppression. He was eventually successful in this battle but not without many trials and tests of his faith and steadfast love for his enemy in the pursuit of making them his friend. In today’s world, I would be interested to see if we could make the separation between good and evil if we would be able to rally against the forces of evil and be successful in fulfilling Dr. King’s goals.