Session 1 Lesson

1. 67%
2.5%
30.5%44.9%
25.4%
29.7%
The percentage of
hinese speakers in
speak
English?
speak
another
language?
What percentage
of people ...
speak
Chinese?
40.8% 50.8%
Census tracts
in MCD3 that
are closest to
the center of
Chinatown
20
40
60
80
100
27
2.5%
speak
another
language
67%
speak
Chinese
30.5%
speak
English
Chinatown
42
40
34
28
24
26.02
26.0122.02 20
10.02
32
38
36.02
30.02
30.01
36.01
22.01
12
10.01
14.02
14.01
18
25
27
29
8 6
2.01
2.02
16
A
mid 1700s
Chinese
traders and
sailors come
to the US
mid 1800s
Chinese flock to
“Gold Mountain”
California during
the gold rush
A brief history of
Chinese immigration to
Lower Manhattan
1840s
Construction of the
Central Pacific
Railroad begins,
providing jobs for
Chinese laborers
beginning in
the 1870s
Chinese
entrepreneurs
establish hand
laundries
throughout NYC
1860s - 1880s
Rising violence and
discrimination toward
Chinese immigrants
causes them to flee to
the big cities of the
eastern US for more
job opportunities
1882
The Chinese
Exclusion Act
imposed strict
limits on Chinese
immigration
7,000+
34,554
28,68
200-1,100
Population
of Chinese
immigrants in
Lower
Manhattan’s
Chinatown
1943
During WWII the
Chinese
Exclusion Act
was discontinued
1968
All other prohibitions
that prevented Chinese
immigration were lifted,
and Chinatown
experienced a massive
wave of new
immigrants
2000s
Getrification of
Chinatown
begins to
displace
residents
CALI
NYC
As a result of this, “Chinatowns” are growing in other areas of the City
such as Sunset Park in Brooklyn and Flushing in Queens.
Census tract 27 is in Manhattan Community District 3 (also known as the Lower
East Side and MCD3) but also finds itself situated very close to the heart of
Chinatown. Influence from both of these historical neighborhoods can be
observed in this census tract, making it a unique place to further investigate.
visual storytelling
and key graphic principles
PLAN601E Verbal and visual: Information Graphics (session 1)

2. course structure
WK.
1
2
3
4
5
Topics
Visual Storytelling
and Key Graphic Principles
Principles of Graphic Design
Single Dimension Comparisons
Design Process
Sequence, Flow & Connection
Design Discretion
Evaluative & Synthetic Graphics
Constructing a Visual Narrative
Storyboarding
Demo
FactFinder
Photo Highlights
Narrative Layout
Charts / Graphs
with Illustrator
Flowcharts / Small
Multiples with Illustrator
Continuum Diagram /
Matrix with Illustrator
and InDesign
Formatting and Layout
with InDesign
assignment
Data collection
Photo-documentation
Charts / Graphs
Icons
Flowcharts / Timelines
Continium Diagram /
Matrix
Slide Presentation
A1 Poster

3. course structure
course components
Readings (x 2)
Case Studies
Lectures / Demonstrations
5-part Assignment
• Census Tract / Study Area
• Weekly slide deck + JPEG submission
• Final presentation
Grading
Assignment 1: 10%
Assignment 2: 10%
Assignment 3: 10%
Assignment 4: 10%
Assignment 5: 20%
Case Study Presentation: 10%
Online Participation: 10%
In-Class Participation: 20%
Assignment Grading criteria
4 pts Clarity and coherence of narratives constructed;
3 pts Thoughtfulness, suitability and/or creativity in
representation;
2 pts Engagement with and evaluation of different
representational strategies (as evidenced in the slide
deck by sketches, precedents, notes and finished
work);
1 pt Deployment of software tools demonstrated in the
course, as appropriate.
weekly deadlines
S Su M T W Th F
blog / course materials
http://prattinfographics.wordpress.com
score and
feedback
returned
blog comments
due by midnight
assignment
due by 9 am
class

4. time to volunteer for case studies!
week 2
Design tools /
Single-dimension comparisons
• The Visual Display of Quantitative
Information
• Florence Nightingale
• Otto Neurath
week 4
Design discretion /
Evaluative and synthetic graphics
• “The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint”
• Envisioning Information
week 3
Design process /
Sequence, flow and connection
• “The Works” / Kate Ascher
• The RSVP Cycles / Lawrence Halprin
• Mark Lombardi
week 5
Constructing a Visual Narrative
• Design with Nature
• Taxi07: Roads Forward / Design Trust
• Fordham Plaza / NYCEDC

5. How to build a story
PREMISE

6. Pose a problem: “An outcast patriarch tries to win back
his family’s good graces.”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

7. Ask a question: “What if you had to live the same day over
and over?”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

8. Trace a route: “Find 100,000 deutsch marks and get
across town (considering all the roads not taken).”
premise: fundamental concept
that drives the plot

9. How to build a story
ACT 1: BEGINNING
ACT 2: MIDDLE
ACT 3: END

10. three act story
ACT 1: SET UP – SETTING, CHARACTERS, AND PROBLEM INTRODUCED
Confined to a wheelchair, Jefferies spends the day watching his neighbors. Lisa wants Jefferies,
but he acts distracted.
ACT 2: TURNING POINT – PROBLEM GETS COMPLEX
A neighbor appears to have killed a dog that was digging up the garden; Jefferies thinks the neighbor has murdered his
wife, but his detective friend doesn’t believe him.
ACT 3: DENOUEMENT – CLIMAX HAPPENS AND PROBLEM RESOLVED
Jefferies convinces Lisa to sneak into the neighbor’s apartment to find evidence of the murder, but they both almost get
murdered themselves. Now that she is a co-conspirer, Jefferies agrees to marry Lisa. Lisa is happy.
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.

11. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
BUILD A CASE
Provide information and argue for a specific
interpretation – reveal a way to look at the world
ACT 1: Background information
ACT 2: Analysis
ACT 3: Findings or proposal

12. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
GIVE A SUMMATIVE TOUR
Describe existing conditions in depth and volume that
puts a single phenomenon in context
ACT 1: Individual instances
ACT 2: Explain phenomena
ACT 3: Draw phenomenon into context and draw
conclusions

13. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem – narrate with stories
not data
EXPLORE A SCENARIO
Explain a problem or condition through the experience
of stakeholders
ACT 1: Describe a character and their issues/concerns
ACT 2: Detail the mechanism that could serve them
ACT 3: Describe how the character is served
by the proposed program or service

14. ways to tell a story
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the characters
and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem. Let story lead your
narrative, not data.
Evaluation
Explore the strengths and weaknesses of a given
phenomenon, issue or dimension
ACT 1: Set a baseline: establish existing conditions
and explain them in context
ACT 2: Evaluate conditions or solutions via matrix
comparison, continuum, pros and cons, etc.
ACT 3: Make recommendations

15. Now we’ll assign census tracts
or study areas for the assignment.
There are 29 census tracts in the community district. They are
displayed here in ascending order.
Brownsville study area
study
area
301
303
365.01
365.02
361
363
367
369
371
373
890
892
894
896
898
900
902
906
908
910
912
916
918
920
922
924
928
1098
1132

16. information graphics = tools for visual communication
Do you want to make a
comparison?
ISOTYPE SECTION SUPERGRAPHIC
NETWORK MAP MATRIXCONTINUUM DIAGRAM
FLOW CHART CYCLE DIAGRAM
GRAPH CHART DOT DENSITY
Do you want to show a
process?
Do you want to show a
relationship?
Do you want to explain
a concept?

17. INFORMATION GRAPHICS = MAKING VISUAL COMPARISONS
information graphics = making visual comparisons

18. Size / Scale Color Line Weight
information graphics = explaining through visual difference
s of social capital decreased nationwide with reported income.
in the absence of traditional civic structure, many Detroiters
r less official groups, I investigated the robustness of the trend
mple. Using GIS, I mapped respondents’ group memberships
rther disaggregated responses to reveal uneven correlations
I produced a series of illustrative diagrams to convey the
nses both quantatitively and qualitatively.
Size / Scale Color Line Weight
INFORMATION GRAPHICS = EXPLAINING THROUGH VISUAL DIFFERENCES

19. INFORMATION GRAPHICS = VISUAL AND NARRATIVE HIERARCHYinformation graphics = visual and narrative hierarchy

20. INFORMATION GRAPHICS = SHOWING CONTEXT VISUALLY
information graphics = showing context visually

21. INFORMATION GRAPHICS = USING GRIDS
Leading the eye. Rule of thirds.
information graphics = providing visual structure