- Select your data for visualization from the CSV files that represent the state or county-level data from the 1860, 1870, or 1880 censuses. Is it tidy? Is it quantitative? Does your data include chronological data (dates)? What scale will you use?
- Select what you want to visualize. Given this data, what kinds of visualization geometry makes the most sense to communicate your desired message? Review the Flourish templates.
- Select a template to use: charts, scatter plots, those that emphasize hierarchy, etc.
- Review the existing sample information in the data pane. If you need to transform your data in any way to make it match the format of the sample data, do so. Save your data to a new CSV file, with a new name.
- Upload or paste in your data and select the columns to visualize.
- Switch to preview your visualization.
- In the right-hand sidebar, adjust your visualization type, if necessary. Select and adjust your styles to optimize the graphic impact of your visualizations.
- Position your Legend.
- Add labels to your x-axis and y-axis, if your visualization is a chart or graph.
- Select the desired layout for the published visualization. Add the appropriate header and footer information so that your viewer can understand your information, the context of the visualization’s creation, and the source of your data.
- Publish your visualization.
Spring 2020