The Honest Graph
Find real data on a topic you care about. Create a persuasive version and an honest version. Write a paragraph explaining every choice you made.
Find a real dataset on a topic you care about. Some places to look: Our World in Data, the U.S. Census Bureau, sports reference sites, or government health databases. Choose something with at least 5–10 data points over time.
Part 1: Two graphs
Create two graphs from the same data. The first should create the strongest possible impression — positive or negative. The second should give an accurate, honest picture. Both must use real data and be technically correct.
Part 2: Written explanation
Write a short explanation (a paragraph or two) covering: what you changed between the two versions and why those choices matter; which techniques from the unit you used in the persuasive version; what choices you made in the honest version and what "honest" meant to you here.
Part 3 (optional extension)
Show your persuasive graph to someone who hasn't taken this unit. What impression does it give them? Then show them the honest version. What changes? Write a sentence or two about what happened.
The goal isn't to make propaganda — it's to understand, from the inside, how design choices in graphs shape what people believe.