Hold the Color

Today was a big step forward for me at my internship in terms of both design and business intelligence. I was assigned a project that required me to reorganize the visualization of a data set while also keeping in mind the structure of the data model it was based on. In layman's terms, I had to visualize a bunch of sales, customer, and shipping data in a way that allows the viewer to get the full picture. While I had done tasks like this before, today's project gave me full reign on a visualization report that would be used to market the company.

I know this may not seem very exciting to many of you, but for some reason, I just can't get enough of it. The act of visualizing data brings together two of my favorite things: visuals and data. Going through the visualization process really forces me to think creatively, but also analytically. The challenge that comes with data visualizations is that while it is important to make the report presentable and appealing, it is an even bigger priority to make sure it tells a good story about the underlying data and communicates the trends well. It is definitely annoying at times, however, in my opinion, a challenge or restriction is what brings the best out of design and art! For example, say you were tasked with creating a new set of emojis but were also told only to use 3 total colors throughout the whole set. Seems pretty difficult right? Well, I can assure you that while it will be harder at first, you will soon see how creative you can get with just three colors. However, this isn't the only thing restrictions in design are good for. I believe being give a restriction also allows you to try and push the boundaries as much as possible which can lead to new ways of creating or conveying a message.

Overall, today got me thinking about why I enjoy having a challenge or restriction while designing. They definitely make the work more difficult at first, but I truly believe that they allow you to come out better in the long run.

- Jared