Category

projects

07.11.10

First LAT app (or the butterfly on my windowsill) CAR, data visualizations, django, programming, projects, theory, web | (0)
http://projects.latimes.com/prop8 So, there's that. First launch! My checklist: Figure out what part of journalism inspires me. CHECK (Data, programming) Find place where I can learn about it from others, but have freedom to try out my ideas and learn from knowledgeable and patient folks. CHECK (LAT) Use this opportunity to learn enough about programming to create at least one app. CHECK (See first line of post) That was a good time. I'm planning a post on best practices for creating a searchable database application like this, with examples, and technical geekery, and all that, and I'd love your thoughts in the meantime. Let me know if you ...
03.08.10

Piece de resistance: Data viz wrapup CAR, class, data visualizations, django, projects, tufte | (0)
And, scene. That's a term borrowed from theater, it's used as an act or scene closes. My giant Chicago art gallery persistence project is completed. We've got a trend article that uses CAR techniques, and a Flash visualization and a searchable database. The main thrust to the story is that of the galleries that existed in Chicago in 1990, about half have survived. What's enabled them to survive, though, has varied. And while I can give you the overall picture, maybe you, as someone interested in the topic, care more about a certain medium or gallery or part of ...
03.03.10

Persistence of Chicago Art Galleries CAR, class, data visualizations, projects, writing | (1)
I've spent the quarter compiling and analyzing data exploring the persistence of Chicago art galleries, as a way of exploring CAR for the arts. I found a list from the Chicago Artists' Coalition of 96 such businesses that existed in 1990, and tracked their fate. A story summarizing the trend follows (an assignment for my Arts Reporting class). You can see the accompanying searchable database here. That page will also soon include a Flash visualization exploring the decline in those original galleries over time, sortable by area and medium. (UPDATE 3/7/10: The Flash visualization is now posted.) Continue Reading...
12.30.09

Changes in how we travel across U.S. borders data visualizations, projects | (0)
Traveling is something we often take for granted nowadays -- at least, I know I do. And as situations in my life have changed, I've been thinking about all the different types of transportation I use. I'm a bit more reliant on my car in the Chicago suburbs, and while I griped about the Metro while in D.C., I miss its reliability. I took buses more in DC than I ever did in Chicago, and my acquaintance with commuter trains grew while I went to undergrad in the Boston suburbs. It's a large part of people's lives, and deserves further study. ...