#ddfp

[thea-rae]

Babysteps into APIs: I made a simple site that visualizes a rough sketch of my life in terms of location and activities. The site uses, my own json file for my schedule, google maps api, instagram api, and two all of two selectors. 

Each step so far has been attainable with a little help from friends, teachers and the google. I am hoping to add Rdio and my listening habits in, but their API was overwhelming when I first started looking at it. 

the code lives here: https://github.com/Thea-rae/Designing-data-for-personalization

[thea-rae]

first data viz (sorta, kinda, ish)

http://159.203.64.148:8000

(I couldn’t figure out forever with express yet, sooooooo it only runs when I am logged into the shell)

[thea-rae]

Women’s health clinics closing data sets

I was looking around for data on the topic of women’s and it is all over the place. I guess it makes sense that for safety’s sake no one source would house all the data I would want to look at, but I didn’t expect it to be so spread out.

In my search I came across this striking datavis/article on the closings:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/20/upshot/how-texas-could-set-national-template-for-limiting-abortion-access.html?_r=0

It is still a topic I am quite interested in, but one that I am not sure I can tackle for a 3 week project. I may have to find something more specific and less research intensive for the project. 

[thea-rae]

basic data site

[thea-rae]

Yummly

I looked into their site for my Data class, having heard it had a great on-boarding that was almost game like. Sadly I found it not so. It took a while for me to find anything that remotely fit my diet or a way in which to edit what it was presenting to me. 

I found myself wishing it was presented in a format similar to a quiz, incorporating amusing questions as well as those relevant to the task at hand: what I like and don’t like eating. 

Maybe the site was different a while ago, maybe not. 

[thea-rae]

My first JSON file woooo

{    "internationalTravels": [        {            "id":0,            "year": "2010",            "locationTraveled": "Seoul",            "reason": "travel",            "length": "10 days",            "enjoymentRating": "6"        },        {            "id":1,            "year": "2010",            "locationTraveled": "Hong Kong",            "reason": "travel",            "length": "8 days",            "enjoymentRating": "7"        },        {            "id":2,            "year": "2010",            "locationTraveled": "Toyko",            "reason": "travel",            "length": "14 days",            "enjoymentRating": "8"        },        {            "id":3,            "year": "2012",            "locationTraveled": "Portugal",            "reason": "adventure",            "length": "65 days",            "enjoymentRating": "8"        },        {            "id":4,            "year": "2012",            "locationTraveled": "Bahamas",            "reason": "fun",            "length": "3 days",            "enjoymentRating": "5"        },        {            "id":5,            "year": "2012",            "locationTraveled": "Jamaica",            "reason": "party",            "length": "3 days",            "enjoymentRating": "4"        },        {            "id":6,            "year": "2012",            "locationTraveled": "Madrid",            "reason": "travel",            "length": "2 days",            "enjoymentRating": "5"        },        {            "id":7,            "year": "2013",            "locationTraveled": "Costa Rica",            "reason": "work",            "length": "12 days",            "enjoymentRating": "7"        },        {            "id":8,            "year": "2014",            "locationTraveled": "Costa Rica",            "reason": "work/play",            "length": "42 days",            "enjoymentRating": "10"        },        {            "id":9,            "year": "2014",            "locationTraveled": "Toronto",            "reason": "work",            "length": "18 days",            "enjoymentRating": "3"        },        {            "id":10,            "year": "2014",            "locationTraveled": "Toronto",            "reason": "work",            "length": "16 days",            "enjoymentRating": "6"        },        {            "id":11,            "year": "2006",            "locationTraveled": "Bahamas",            "reason": "research",            "length": "22 days",            "enjoymentRating": "9"        },        {            "id":12,            "year": "2008",            "locationTraveled": "Puerto Rico",            "reason": "diving",            "length": "15 days",            "enjoymentRating": "8"        },        {            "id":13,            "year": "2003",            "locationTraveled": "Puerto Rico",            "reason": "fun",            "length": "5 days",            "enjoymentRating": "8"        },        {            "id":14,            "year": "2003",            "locationTraveled": "Virgin Islands",            "reason": "fun",            "length": "6 days",            "enjoymentRating": "9"        },        {            "id":15,            "year": "2004",            "locationTraveled": "Jamaica",            "reason": "family",            "length": "10 days",            "enjoymentRating": "7"        },        {            "id":16,            "year": "2007",            "locationTraveled": "Amsterdam",            "reason": "travel",            "length": "7 days",            "enjoymentRating": "6"        }    ]  }

[thea-rae]

Designing Data for Personalization

posts for this class will live here.

[paulkrix]

Iterative development

A large part of this project for me is the design techniques and practises that bring a concept to a product. In most of my projects I have focused on different generative algorithms, techniques for data visualisation, etc. I consider that the concept stage. I haven't paid as much attention to all of the skills and knowledge needed to take that concept and make it into a product. I've put a lot more time and energy in to that side of things in this project, in particular I've tried to develop an iterative development style based on the Lean Startup model used by an increasing number of design practices (dropbox for example).

The basic idea is the produce the absolute minimum version of what you think you want, then have real people try it out and give you feedback. Then you fix any big problems, take on board suggestions and make any changes you want and do the whole thing again.

I've applied this loosely to the way I worked in this project and I'm happy with the results so far given the timeframe.

You can check out where the project is up to at http://phyl.paulkrix.com