The last low-resolution chart for a while

There's a lot of very bad stuff going on here. Let's start with the fact that the tax benefits seem to be larger than the entire stimulus plan(!) Then we can move on to the fact that the tax benefits are described twice, and then the fact that there's a large tax benefit-colored area of non-data ink. Finally, note that only three numbers are being described.

My reinterpretation is to the right.

Oh, right. Here's the SVGZ.

Another design

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. There. That should take me out of the canyon that I inadvertently created above.

So above is another chart that you can find at recovery.gov. Among other not-so nice things about the design, the entire chart suffers from perspective issues. This creates the illusion that the shorter bars are smaller than they actually are, which is curious, since the smaller bars are small enough as it is.

Again, we have volumetric changes meant to describe simple one-dimensional data.

At right is my interpretation, which is (admittedly) not the best. Each bar is separated into two portions: the very large portion of funds available for any use and the relatively small portion of funds for that particular use. Hopefully, this suggests the fact that using general funds for one use will eliminate their usability for a different use.

I think the problem, such as it is, is that this chart is supposed to represent 5 numbers. That's not really enough to get a good display of statistical information. We need some higher resolution charts, and I plan to deliver this next week, but I have one more garish chart to improve before then.

(also, a quick note. In the preview panel, I'm seeing a very blocky version of this design on the left. If you ever have trouble seeing a chart, try viewing the image alone in a new window. Most images are resized before I put them up here)

Also available: the Compressed SVG. Please note that though it looks small, you can zoom into it, and all the information is still there, in much higher quality than any PNG.

* 'Enhancement' is a legally defined term for projects such as sidewalk repairs, bicycle paths, and beautification projects. Enhancements do not involve vehicle or mass transit related items.

And now, the reveal

Well, here's my interpretation. Each element is 787 units wide. The height is proportional to the fraction of the money going to the specific element. This way, you can see both the proportion that each element is in relation to the other elements and to the budget as a whole simultaneously.

Colors were adjusted to give each color the same visual weight, in accordance with Goethe's theory of colors.

The data dot is a section of the SVG which contains the data used to create the chart, in CSV format.

It's my first time, so please be gentle.