Context
Since 2005 I have kept track of all the money I have spent. To date, I have about 1800 entries in this log. I wanted to work with a large data set and this seemed perfect to me.
Idea
Taking inspiration from Shawn’s lectures and previous Stamen works, I wanted to be able to use all data possible in a visualisation, not just visualise some statistics. Also, using data as an interface was very important to me. I wanted to start with an overview but also made it possible to dig deeper depending on user needs and interests.
Design Process
I started by displaying the data in various forms and charts to learn more about them. I choose stacked bar chart as a representation that is most relevant to this type of data. Then I added filtering and an option to separate the big bar chart into smaller ones. The last step was to implement a detailed month view.
What did you learn by seeing the data in a visual way?
Seeing data in a visual way allowed me to notice emerging patterns in my spending - especially after I moved to Copenhagen last year. This helps me to plan how much money I need each month and indicates areas where I should reduce costs. | also have some ideas for improvements in the future because I want to use this personal tool on a daily basis.
