For this exploration, I focused on a bar chart to visualize the distribution of boy names with over 100 responses in 2023. A bar chart was selected because it effectively shows the difference in the responses between the names, making it easy to identify trends at a glance. I also chose to incorporate the number of responses on the bar chart to ensure you didn’t have to use judgment when it came to differentiating the height of the bars. The visual element of the height of the bars is still obvious, but when it comes to the bars closer in height, we can see what’s different about the bars.
I used this method because most of these names are uncommon in personal encounters, to the point that I know only a maximum of one of the people with the other names, except for “Ethan” and “Jack.” This may seem obvious because they were such recent birth names, but it is something I found interesting. It seems that the trend of names in recent years has been to go with more unorthodox names, such as Arlo or Beau. I am no name expert, so maybe these names aren’t all too unorthodox, but given my experience, they seem that way.
Lin’s lecture emphasized the importance of clear and useful visualizations in Digital Humanities. Specifically, charts and graphs that turn simple data sets into a story. Using the data along with personal experiences to provide a message that really draws out the humanities side of the collected data.
2 thoughts on “Lab Assignment 3: Exploratory Data Vizualization”
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I think you did a really good job keeping the graph simple while also adding enough details to be able to fully understand what the graph is displaying. I especially liked how you added the actual number of boys named a particular name on the corresponding bar. Overall, you absolutely converted the data into a clear and useful visual. Well done!
I think the bar chart is a great choice for showing the distribution of boy names. It makes the data easy to understand and clearly highlights trends. Your personal connection to the names adds an interesting perspective, especially with unique names like Arlo or Beau. It’s interesting how some names feel new to us, even though they may be more common elsewhere. It shows how naming trends can vary by location and community, and how names shift over time.