The project I explored was “The Rhythm of Food” which is a collaboration between Google News Lab and Truth & Beauty. The project investigates hidden patterns in Google search trends by examining the seasonality of food across different locations and time periods. It is seen through the lens of search interest in the United States.
Black Box Components
Sources
They used FooDB to analyze food related search terms as well as gathered data from we analyzed hundreds of ingredients, recipes, and other food related search terms. They also utilized Google Trends as that is where all Google search data comes from. They also utilized Google Knowledge Graph.
Processes
The various different graphs shown in the project are examples of the processes as it is making sense of the data. These graphs analyze and organize a data so that it can be interpreted. An example can be seen above with “pumpkin spice latte” being the searched term.
Presentation
They utilized a line graph as well as a radar map chart which are both interactive for the user. Hovering over a specific data point gives you additional information such as its “Google trends score” out of 100 as well as the date of which it was searched.
Question
I’m curious about how the Google Trends score is calculated, given that it is standardized on a scale of 100. What are the units for these scores, and on what basis are they determined?
In-class discussion questions
Which academic fields (i.e history) do you see the project in conversation with?
I could see this project being in conversation with the marketing/economics field. Understanding the popularity of food-related trends and the behavior of consumers can provide insights into consumer behavior, advertising, and product demand, especially with food products like “pumpkin spice lattes”
Who is the target audience?
The target audience likely includes a broad range of groups, as food is a universally relevant topic that intersects with various fields and industries. However, the project seems less academic in nature, as it does not provide a clear breakdown of how its scores are calculated, making it more suited to the general public interested in food.
