the radar

The shape of the polygon is the signature. No single spoke means much alone.

What it leaves outThe order of the spokes is arbitrary and it changes the shape. Rotate them and the same numbers make a different silhouette.

2 · intermediate · polar · rung 3 · what’s related

shipped on the platform · radar

Three worked examples

What shape is your borough?

Before you lookBefore the polygons are drawn, write down which borough you think will have the biggest shape.

civictwo_instruments_nyc_rats.csv · 5 rows · 5 columns

the five boroughs across four rat measures

What to look atThe shape of each polygon is the signature. No single spoke means much on its own, and rotating the axes changes the shape without changing the data.

This example draws itself with a small script. With scripting off you can still read every word on this page, and the file itself is at data/two_instruments_nyc_rats.csv.

earth and spacepair_ca_counties_area_population_aqi.csv · 58 rows · 5 columns

California counties across area, population, density and air

What to look atFifty-eight polygons is too many to read. Pick four counties first — a radar is a shape for a handful of things.

This example draws itself with a small script. With scripting off you can still read every word on this page, and the file itself is at data/pair_ca_counties_area_population_aqi.csv.

teen healthnhis_teen_group_profiles.csv · 29 rows · 12 columns

the same groups, drawn as shapes instead of lines

What to look atThe polygon is the signature. Reorder the spokes and the shape changes without a single number changing.

This example draws itself with a small script. With scripting off you can still read every word on this page, and the file itself is at data/nhis_teen_group_profiles.csv.

the pool

Now build one yourself.

The pool opens with this file and this shape already drawn, so your first move is to change something rather than to start from nothing. Bring your own CSV if you have one. Nothing is uploaded anywhere — the chart is drawn in your browser, your work saves there, and it downloads as a picture or as a project file you can open again.

Open the pool → the radar · two_instruments_nyc_rats.csv