Participant Instructions
Welcome to the annual CMU IronViz Challenge. In conjunction with Data Analytics Day, we encourage and inspire CMU's broader data community of practice to participate. This challenge is modeled after the national Tableau IronViz competition. However, participants in the CMU IronViz Challenge are not limited to using Tableau. We encourage those using PowerBI and other data visualization tools to participate!
This year's theme is Advancing Data Analytics through Community Engagement and Empowerment. In keeping with that theme, a common dataset with information about CMU and its peers' Federal Grants and Contracts will be provided to all registered IronViz participants. Participants must use the provided dataset, but are welcome to create additional derived fields to support their data visualization.
All participants must register using the Participant Registration Form by Friday, May 23. They may participate individually or in teams of up to three people. Using the registration form, participants can form their own teams or request to be assigned to a team.
Finalists will be selected to present and recreate their dashboards on Tuesday, July 29, in front of the executive sponsors and a live audience. Based on their presentations, the finalists will compete for the grand prize. All participants will be recognized, and the prize winners will be announced at CMU Data Analytics Data on Wednesday, July 30.
Scoring
Finalists will be selected based on the initial scoring round using the rubric below. Participants selected to advance to the final round will present their data visualization to the executive sponsors and recreate it in front of a live audience. Executive sponsors will select the prize winners, who will be announced at Data Analytics Day.
Story Telling (30%)
- Communicates insights and trends.
- Engages audience with compelling narrative using easily understood visualizations.
- Interactive visualizations are easy to navigate and follow a clear sequence.
- Titles, subtitles, captions, callouts, etc., communicate the key takeaways.
- The design is clear, consistent, and aesthetically pleasing to the audience.
- Consistent visual vocabulary (fonts, sizes, color palettes, chart types, etc.) is used throughout the visualization.
Data Accuracy (30%)
- Data visualization tells an accurate story based on the data.
- Conclusions are presented credibly and convincingly.
- Data is not misrepresented or skewed.
- Aggregations and breakouts account for dataset structure and reach accurate conclusions.
- Filters, subsets, comparisons, etc., are clearly defined and communicated to the audience.
Design, Standards, and Digital Accessibility (30%)
- Follows the minimum CMU design guidelines for DASH.
- Ensures users, including those with visual disabilities, can access the content effectively.
- Color contrast maintains a minimum 4.5 ratio.
- Minimum 11 font size.
- Color is not the only method used to communicate differences.
- Alternative text is provided where possible.
- About the Team page provides an introduction of the team members and submission.
Overall Impression (10%)
- Visualization provides a cohesive insight to help executive leaders plan for future classes and classroom scheduling.
Accepted File Formats
Tableau
Submit your entry using a Tableau Packaged Workbook file (.twbx) that includes both the data visualizations and the underlying source data.
PowerBI
Submit your entry using a PowerBI Exchange file (.pbix) that includes both the data visualizations and the underlying source data.
Other Tools
If you have a data visualization using another software tool, please contact Matthew Hoolsema or Alexis Parker to determine the file format for your entry.
Prize Categories
- First place: $500 gift card to CMU Bookstore
- Second place: $250 gift card to CMU Bookstore
- Third place: $100 gift card to CMU Bookstore
Questions
Please contact Matthew Hoolsema or Alexis Parker with questions about the IronViz challenge.