Google Gapminder by Devdatta Prabhu (Group 9)

Google GapMinder

Motion Chart is a free gadget in Google Spreadsheet (an online spreadsheet similar to excel). In motion chart you can convert your data-series into a Gapminder-like graph and put it on your web-page or blog. All you need is a free Google-account.

Here is a quick guide:
1. Go to docs.google.com and log in to your google account.

2. Decide what you want to show as bubbles (e.g. Countries) put those in column A

3. The second column is for time (e.g. Years)*

4. Following columns are for your data (e.g. Life expectancy, GDP, Population) The value in these columns can be numbers or texts. If you use only numbers, this column will appear on x- and y-axis as well as bubble-size and the meny for color. If you have a text-string it will only appear in the drop down menu for color.

  

5. Click Insert > Gadget (Choose Motion Chart)

6. Select the columns you want as range and click Apply.

The finished Gadget can then be added to any web-page or blog by clicking the little arrow on right corner (choose publish gadget). This would be the result (feel free to click around)

The Time-value can be in different formats:
◦ Year – Example: 2008.
◦ Month, day and year – 08152008
◦ Week number – Example: ’2008W03′.
◦ Quarter – Example: ’2008Q3′.

You can make graphs offline also. For this follow these steps:

http://www.gapminder.org/world-offline/

Go to this link and download Gapminder offline software.

Installation instructions (Windows, Mac and Linux)

1. Click ‘install now’ above. Gapminder Desktop uses Adobe AIR technology. This technology will be installed automatically if it is not already on your computer (you may need to ask a computer administrator for help installing this software).

2. Click “Open” in the dialog that appears (see below).

   

For reference watch this ”How to make Gapminder desktops graphs” video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=duGLdEzlIrs

Troubleshooting the installation: alternative method (updated).

If you are having trouble installing Gapminder Desktop using the button above you may try an alternative way. First, ensure that Adobe AIR is installed (available at:http://get.adobe.com/air/. Then download the Gapminder Desktop installation file athttp://cdn.gapminder.org/gapminderdesktop.air to your computer desktop and open by double-clicking this file. Then proceed to follow the instructions under 1. above.