A Frigid Fate: Polar Bears in a Warming World

Data storytelling: building visualizations to explore the effects of climate change on polar bears

TIMELINE

5 weeks
Nov - Dec 2023

TOOLS

D3.js + Javascript
HTML/CSS
Tableau
Figma

ROLE

Engineer

SKILLS

Frontend Development
Website Design
Data Visualization

CONTEXT

This project was the culmination of our work in CS171 (Visualization) at Harvard, where we were tasked with selecting a topic and crafting a compelling data story through visualizations. As part of a team of three, I designed and developed our final website, which examines the effects of climate change on polar bears. The project explores how shrinking ice extent has impacted their population dynamics, migration behaviors, dietary habits, and overall health.

WHAT WE DID

We began by researching, collecting, and cleaning datasets related to polar bear populations, ice extent, and ecological changes. Using Tableau, we conducted an exploratory analysis to uncover meaningful patterns and insights, which guided our brainstorming process as we identified the most significant and impactful visualizations to include.

To bring our story to life, we built a website using D3.js, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and Bootstrap. Throughout the development process, we sought feedback from teaching assistants, peers, and usability tests with students, incorporating their input to refine and enhance the final product. This iterative process allowed us to create a website that was both visually engaging and intuitive to navigate, while effectively communicating the narrative of polar bears and climate change through impactful data visualizations.

CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF HERE!

Website

Github

Demo (1.5x speed)

TO CONCLUDE

I absolutely loved working on this project! I had never done as deep a dive into front-end development before, and it was my first experience exploring data visualizations in such depth. The class was a refreshing change from the theory and math that usually dominate CS at Harvard, offering a hands-on approach to creative problem-solving. Along the way, I gained valuable skills in Tableau, D3, and JavaScript, while also refining my HTML/CSS knowledge.