Big Charts

Behind-the-scenes of making data and visual stories, by Alvin Chang

The hottest Substack posts of Big Charts

And their main takeaways
199 implied HN points 29 Sep 23
  1. The story discusses the correlation between day-to-day activities and happiness, highlighting how social interaction plays a significant role in people's well-being and happiness levels.
  2. Data visualization can sometimes present challenges in clearly conveying findings, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that the visualization aligns with the story being told.
  3. Visualizing individual diaries can make the concept of loneliness feel universal, prompting important conversations about struggles with loneliness in everyday life.
79 implied HN points 01 Oct 23
  1. Planning to hand-paint a data visualization can lead to innovative and soulful results, without being limited by digital tools.
  2. Utilizing a mix of hand-drawn sketches and digital tools like D3 can enhance the visual appeal and storytelling of a data visualization project.
  3. The process of painting a data visualization on a large canvas can be time-consuming and challenging, but can evoke strong emotional connections and memories.
79 implied HN points 26 Sep 23
  1. Interactive data storytelling projects involve a complex process involving journalism, design, and coding.
  2. The process of creating interactive data stories often deviates from the initial plan due to the dynamic nature of the work.
  3. Various modes of communication, such as writing, design, and coding, play unique and essential roles in organizing thoughts and shaping storytelling.
2 HN points 09 Apr 24
  1. Keeping a diary of daily work on a project can provide valuable insights into the process and help in understanding project timelines and challenges.
  2. Working with complex data can be intimidating, but once you grasp how to access and interpret data, it can offer a wealth of information for analysis and visualization.
  3. Confronting challenges in a project, such as dealing with 'The Desert' phase where doubts and uncertainties arise, is a normal part of the creative process, leading to eventual breakthroughs and refinements.