Brewing Balance Poster: A Data Visualization Exploration
DATA VISUALIZATION • POSTER DESIGN • DESIGN RESEARCH • DESIGN THINKING •
Through this poster, I’m trying to find a correlation between my daily caffeine intake, stress levels, and sleep duration and quality, all tracked over the course of 14 days in January 2024.
Research Process
Variables Tracked
I manually tracked four specific variables over 14 days (January 14–26) to find correlations between sleep and mood:
- Daily Caffeine Intake (cups per day)
- Stress Level (scale of 1–10)
- Sleep Duration (hours/minutes), tracked via a Fitbit Inspire 3
- Sleep Quality (score of 1–100), tracked via a Fitbit Inspire 3 (based on heart rate, time awake, and sleep stages)
Findings
Initial analysis of the raw data showed no immediate patterns. However, after organizing the data for visualization, I made minor correlations. Specifically, I found that on days when my stress level was highest, I experienced reduced sleep duration. Caffeine intake was random, with consumption exceeding one cup on only four days.
Final Data Range
To better reflect the collected data, the tracked ranges were adjusted:
- Daily Caffeine Intake: 1–2 cups
- Stress Level: 3–6
- Sleep Duration: 5–10 hours
- Sleep Quality: 69–82
Design Process
The initial concept aimed to visualize overall patterns, but it was too abstract and difficult to interpret. A first attempt using "conceptual slices" for each day proved limiting and confusing. Refocusing, the designer chose to explore caffeine as a daily ritual and its connection to stress and sleep. Sketches using coffee mugs evolved into a more engaging concept incorporating latte art for sleep duration, coffee color for stress levels, pie charts for sleep quality, and extra cups for multiple coffee intakes. Through feedback and critique, the design was refined to balance clarity, aesthetics, and data integrity.
Final Product
I chose to use browns and pinks to have a more inviting feel that I mentally correlate with bakeries and cafes. I chose more distinctive coffee colors and successfully implemented the pie chart that depicts each sleep quality score. I also added dimension to distinguish the cups from the saucers and made the second cup more obvious by making it face the opposite way with the handle facing out. I used a visual key to show each factor and explained the visuals in the included blurb.
Final ThoughtsMost of the challenges I encountered with this project had to do with analyzing the data itself. I was not sure how to make correlations within my rather normal-looking data that did not stray in data points from day to day. I eventually figured out that I don't have to come to a solid conclusion that is life-changing, rather I can portray how my collected data is similar using my visualization. Overall, I learned how to analyze data in a way that makes it possible to portray to non-designers. I specifically enjoyed learning how to find a balance between visual elements and meaningful data portrayal.