Shark Week: 35 Years of Data

A solo data visualization and storytelling project analyzing trends across Shark Week’s multi-decade run.

Created independently for my Data Visualization course, this project analyzes 35 years of Shark Week programming (from 1988 to 2023) to explore how the series has evolved in tone, scientific credibility, and storytelling. Due to scheduling conflicts within my assigned team, I completed the entire project on my own, from data wrangling to final presentation.

My goal was to understand how Shark Week could adapt and grow. I framed the narrative around the question: “What’s at stake?”- both for viewer engagement and the long-term success of the series. The final presentation offers data-backed recommendations for future programming directions.

Throughout the process, I revised my visualizations based on instructor and peer feedback, switching to clearer geometries, improving aesthetics, and incorporating perceptual design principles. I also created a new heatmap layout and refined the narrative structure across slides to strengthen clarity and cohesion.

This project sharpened my skills in R, ggplot2, and visual storytelling. It also reinforced the importance of iteration and design intention, especially when working solo.

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