DATA VISUALIZATION PROJECT
An interactive dashboard made in Tableau, categorizing global extinct and rediscovered seed plant species up to 2018. The dataset used was from this article published in Nature.
format
Webpage
tools
Excel, Tableau
client
Jodie Jenkinson (Prof.), 2020
FEATURES
PROCESS WORK
SKETCH & IDEATION
I stumbled across the dataset when I was looking for plant species data. I wanted to focus on extinct plant species, as I don't believe there have been many datasets compiled or visualized for extinct plants as opposed to extinct animals. The article I found was exactly what I was looking for, and it was relatively recent.
I had planned interactivity from the start, but I wasn't sure which tools to use until later in the project. At this early stage, I was planning my dashboard around D3 functionality as a starting point.
CHOOSING VARIABLES
I focused on 10 total variables. I split my sketch into four major sections with different interactivity planned for each. I planned two bar graphs, one map, and one phylogenetic sunburst diagram. I consulted various sources to determine which type of visualization best fit each type of data.
CLEANING AND PREPARING DATA
The original data set had extra variables such as a list of synonyms, which I excluded to keep the list distinct. All the variables were coded, which I renamed. I used Tableau Prep Builder to further clean and link my variables.
INTERACTIVITY IN TABLEAU
I debated between using Adobe XD or Tableau for the interactivity. As I had a large dataset with over 1000 items, Adobe XD wasn't feasible for the type of sorting and hover functionality I needed. Since most of the data had been cleaned and graphed in Tableau already, I decided to use Tableau for the final dashboard. As such, I wasn't able to implement most of the illustrations I had planned. In the future, I would like to experiment with bringing the project to D3, as Tableau is limited in design features.
I used a JSON map for the regions. The regions are separated based on the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions. The sunburst phylogeny was made using this tutorial.
REFERENCES
Humphreys, A.M., Govaerts, R., Ficinski, S.Z. et al. Global dataset shows geography and life form predict modern plant extinction and rediscovery. Nat Ecol Evol 3, 1043–1047 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0906-2