The Start of Project 2

 I am really excited for this project! It will be a data visualization of sorts, kinda similar to an infographic but I think more refined. I don't have anything yet to show for this project except research, which can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VB-FmgRJcn7wMTWysu6jnd-Jat0-0f20ZXpLRYEG6-0/edit?usp=sharing

I would say im in between topics right now with some minimal research in each to see which interests me more. For Monday's class (10/19) I came with research on the defunding of arts programs in early education. I am still interested in this but I am exploring other options just so I don't feel stuck too early on like I did with the last project. I think I need to pick a really exciting topic that I will look forward to designing for throughout the entirety of the project. 

My other options are food insecurity (I took an Environmental Justice class last semester and it was my favorite LSA class I have ever taken and I learned a lot about this- though this idea is very broad), or sustainability in the beauty industry in terms of recyclable materials and how the industry is very lacking in this regard (I thought there would be a lot more data about this but I couldn't find much so not sure).

The document I included has some quick facts that I have found as well as their sources and some existing infographics. What's interesting about the arts education topic is that I found A LOT of infographics about it but more so about the BENEFITS of an arts education but not necessarily about the federal budget cuts, so this might be an aspect that I can explore as it seems kind of untapped. I also found a good amount regarding food security, but almost none regarding sustainability. I will do some more in depth searching but this is what I found from a decent hour and a half internet search. 

I am finding that it's a lot harder to find explicit quantifiable data in any topic than I thought. Maybe my concepts are too abstract? I am also having a hard time navigating the umich library portal. For this initial research I did some quick searches and used the ask a librarian tool but it is difficult to find exactly the kind of sources that I am looking for. I think it might be useful to try and find some reports/studies rather than just articles about the topics. Also books might be useful but will be hard to comb through.  

But before I even get to designing, I need to decide on a topic and do some heavy research and find usable data. I am really excited to get going on this project and pick a direction!  

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