In this sketch, I was looking to illustrate the fact that although plastic waste is generally well disposed of in developed countries, it does not discount the fact that plastic waste generation has been on the rise globally. I wanted to highlight the presence of plastic waste all around us, as suggested by the colours of the background, and rapid movement of the particles that represent plastic.
This sketch highlights the exponential increase in plastic production globally since 1950. I wanted to work on this particular statistic as the nearly two-hundredfold increase in a span of 65 years is alarming, and unbeknownst to most. A bar graph with a slider seemed like the most straightforward manner to bring across the idea of increase since one is able to see how rapidly plastic production has increased globally.
Original data source
Both sketches use colours which are commonly associated with nature and plastic waste, in a darker and more sombre tone to fit the gravity of the issue of plastic waste. The font chosen for the data visualisation sketch is Rotis Sans Serif 65 Bold, which was used for its legibility and the credible tone it exudes. The data interpretation sketch uses Karrik Regular, a grotesque font which is versatile and readable from varied distances.
An issue I faced was most definitely having elaborate ideas which I was not confident to execute in p5.js. Overcoming it meant remembering that the task as a designer was first to create a. data visualisation that had clarity in reading, was informative, and had appropriate design treatments.(~50 words)
Initially, my data interpretation sketch began as a solid-coloured page, to which my friends commented that they did not know how to interact with the sketch. As such, I included two lines which succinctly suggests how to interact with the sketch, and what each command signifies.
Creating a running sketch which was readable and informative is truly rewarding, and half the battle won! It was helpful and important to learn from others, and constantly re-iterate a sketch till I was satisfied with its outcome. Sketching physically with pen and paper helped to simplify certain concepts, and helped with developing more refined ideas.
Initial brainstorming and ideation for the Data Visualisation sketch.
Trying to develop a visually interesting yet attainable sketch for visual interpretation.
Trying to be intentional with design choices such as colour and style.
olour palette created with coolors.co to represent commonly-seen plastic waste
Initial idea for data visualisation created with Photoshop, but I did not know how to execute it code-wise.