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20 galleries in 20 weeks

Building another 100-day habit:

HOW

  • Review 1 Storytelling With Data challenge gallery per week.
  • Pick 1 submission per weekday and tweet its link. Identify:
    • 1 effective / theft-worthy feature
    • 1 idea for improvement
    • A takeaway title
  • Stick to time budget of 15–30 minutes per day, before 10:30 PM Eastern

WHY

  1. Critiquing models—for both strengths and weaknesses—is one of my most effective learning habits: in writing, teaching writing, UI design… so why not also dataviz unto data stories?
  2. I will learn more by practicing this habit frequently.
  3. Continuing this habit over 20 weeks will build a nice collection of 100+ models that I can revisit in future.
  4. Building this collection on Twitter will force me to be pithy while turning that account to good use (given that I prefer personal communication but see the value of making work visible online).
  5. Sticking to clear time limits will help me prioritize (get to the point faster!).

BONUS

Each Saturday, write a mini-recap in my wrex (30–45 minutes). Flexible week to week:

  • Pick 5 ahead of time or as I go?
  • Include 0, 1, or 2 additional selections in my mini-recap?
  • Read recap by SWD team before, during, after, or not at all?
  • Take an extra 1–3 hours and try the challenge myself?

WHICH GALLERIES

SWD currently has 39 challenges online, 1 per month from January 2018 onward. The next 20 weeks will add another 5, for April through August. Here are my top 5+5 of current interest:

topicprompt#month
mobileadapt a chart or dashboard created for monitor202019 Aug
tablesdesign a table that fits its purpose & content well572020 Sep
mapsidentify data that lends itself well to a map582021 Mar
b&wmake an effective monochromatic communication402020 Jun
bars & linesplot both together in a way that makes sense482019 Nov
# refers to total submissions (minus recap)
topic#month
explain a change362020 Nov
small multiples742020 Jan
annotated line882018 Jan!
visualize uncertainty362019 Sep
rebrand it!582019 Jun

SCHEDULE

Grouped in 4 clusters of 5 weeks.

Pick a small reward for each 25-day milestone! Worked well with my CollectUI-browsing habit in 2019/2020 (e.g. buy an ebook I’ve wanted).

weekSMTWRFAmonth
#01 [ok]28293031123APRIL
#0245678910
#0311121314151617
#0418192021222324
#052526272829301
1st milestone: May 1st
weekSMTWRFAmonth
#062345678MAY
#079101112131415
#0816171819202122
#0923242526272829
#10303112345JUNE
2nd milestone: June 5th
weekSMTWRFAmonth
#116789101112JUNE
#1213141516171819
#1320212223242526
#1427282930123JULY
#1545678910
3rd milestone: July 10th
weekSMTWRFAmonth
#1611121314151617JULY
#1718192021222324
#1825262728293031
#191234567AUGUST
#20891011121314
4th & final milestone: August 14th

ALL CHALLENGES

Updated 2021 April, May, June, July 2 … Current total: 43 challenges.

Grouped by prompt category (my headings): message type (5), viz type (16), remake (8), other constraint (10), and expand horizons (4).

In reverse chronological order per category. Counts per gallery (#) are hyperlinked to recap by SWD team. Asterisks mark my initial top 10.

MESSAGE TYPE (5 challenges)

monthtitle#
Apr 2021ask & answer39
Jan 2021visualize your resume55
Nov 2020*explain the change36
Sep 2019*visualize uncertainty36
Feb 2019visualize variability40

VIZ TYPE (16 challenges)

monthtitle#
Jul 2021exploring unit charts_
Mar 2021*March MAPness58
Sep 2020*build a table57
Aug 2020make a perfect pie72
Apr 2020area graphs61
Feb 2020back to basics with bars89
Jan 2020*small multiples74
Nov 2019*bars AND lines48
Jul 2019radial data viz59
Oct 2018scatterplot!47
Aug 2018let’s plot with a dot!52
Jun 2018slopegraph72
May 2018the waterfall chart45
Apr 2018square area graph78
Mar 2018basic bars85
Jan 2018*annotated line graph88

REMAKE (8 challenges)

monthtitle#
May 2021how we’ve grown30
Dec 2020critique then (re)create67
Oct 2019improve this table82
Aug 2019*redesign for mobile20
Jun 2019*rebrand it!58
Apr 2019emulate!54
Sep 2018how would YOU makeover this graph?96
Jul 2018your choice makeover45

OTHER CONSTRAINT (10 challenges)

monthtitle#
Jun 2021reading into red45
Feb 2021draw your data42
Jun 2020*it’s all there in black and white40
May 2020think like a designer29
Mar 2020get animated!46
May 2019artisanal data57
Mar 2019visualize THIS data!69
Dec 2018happy holidays!42
Nov 2018sticky notes20
Feb 2018education, color, and words45

EXPAND HORIZONS (4 challenges)

monthtitle#
Oct 2020face your fear: xenographphobia40
Jul 2020diagram it!36
Dec 2019infographics28
Jan 2019new year, new tool36