(1). FORENSIC DESIGN ASSESSMENTS

This task relates to a sequence of assessments that will be repeated across Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Select any example of a visualisation or infographic, maybe your own work or that of others. The task is to undertake a deep, detailed ‘forensic’ like assessment of the design choices made across each of the five layers of the chosen visualisation’s anatomy. In each case your assessment is only concerned with one design layer at a time.

For this task, take a close look at the annotation choices:

Start by identifying all the annotation features deployed, listing them under the headers of either project or chart annotation
How suitable are the choices and deployment of these annotation features? If they are not, what do you think they should have been?
Go through the set of ‘Influencing factors’ from the latter section of the book’s chapter to help shape your assessment and to possibly inform how you might tackle this design layer differently
Also, considering the range of potential annotation features, what would you do differently or additionally?

(2). ARTIFICIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Find a visualisation that relates to a potentially niche subject or is largely aimed at a domain-knowledgable audience. Identify all features of annotation and consider how you might need to apply some variation in approach to ensure the work was accessible to a potentially less well-informed and captivated audience.