Data Analytics & Writing Portfolio
Vanessah Howard
Welcome! In this portfolio, you will find a diverse range of samples that showcase my skills and accomplishments in data analysis, data visualization, technical writing, content writing, basic web development, and basic coding. Each sample shows my commitment to delivering high-quality results. I can turn complex data into actionable insights, create impactful data visualizations, and communicate effectively through technical and content writing.
My data analysis and visualization samples demonstrate my ability to uncover valuable patterns, trends, and correlations, enabling data-driven decision-making. My technical writing samples demonstrate my ability to distill complex concepts into clear and concise documentation. Combining my technical writing background with my data analysis skills, I can make data more accessible and understandable to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
I have also included some HTML and CSS coding projects that I created while completing my freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design certification, and a Java coding assignment I completed for a computer science course at San Francisco State University (CSC 210). I am always looking for new opportunities for professional growth and learning, and I will soon be starting fCC's Data Analysis with Python Certification.
Older writing samples are available upon request. These include a white paper, more technical writing pieces, promotional writing pieces, etc. Please reach out to me on LinkedIn if you'd like to see more samples!
Data Analysis & Visualizations
SFSU PWR Concentration Infographics (2020)
Target Audience: English majors with a Professional Writing & Rhetoric concentration.
Tools: Adobe InDesign
Skills: Data visualization, document design, simple vector graphics.
Description: Completed as one of my culminating experience projects for San Francisco State University's Professional Writing and Rhetoric department. This infographic illustrates an example four-semester course sequence for upper division students. This infographic is meant to be handed out as well as displayed on bulletin boards.
Approach:
- Researched and analyzed course data to determine prerequisites and optimal course sequence.
- Illustrated with school colors to create contrast.
- Created simple vector graphics created to draw the reader's eyes through the information.
- Organized a legend to explain the visual components used.
San Francisco 2018 Crime Data Analysis (2023)
Mock Client: San Francisco Police Department.
Tools: Microsoft Excel, BigQuery SQL, Tableau, Google Slides
Skills: Data cleaning, data analysis, data visualization, team collaboration.
Description: Explored, with a team of four peers, a 150,000 row dataset detailing crime in San Francisco in the year 2018. Our prompt focused on crime based on the day of the week and what time it occurred. We also examined whether crime trends were seasonal or not.
Approach:
- Cleaned a 150,000-row spreadsheet utilizing Excel, ensuring data accuracy by removing null data and filling in missing data when possible.
- Used the SQL WHERE clause to create complex filters for month, season, day of the week, and hour.
- Visualized data pulled from SQL in Tableau and Excel, creating a variety of visualization types including line charts, column charts, pie charts, and maps showing concentration by neighborhood.
- Collaborated with team to create a Google Slides presentation using Tableau created data visualizations.
Google Data Analytics Capstone Project (In Progress)
Mock Client: Bellabeat
Tools: Kaggle, BigQuery SQL, R
Skills: Data cleaning, data analysis, data visualization.
Description: This case study is for a fictional company called Bellabeat, who make high-tech health and fitness products marketed to women. I will be analyzing smart device data to find insights into how consumers are using their devices. These insights should help guide marketing strategy for the mock client.
Approach:
- Exploration of data to determine what needs to be done for cleaning and to see if I can find any initial observations, insights, or outliers.
Writing Samples
Corsair Crystal 680X RGB Front I/O Replacement Guide (2023)
Target Audience: Owners of a Corsair Crystal 680X RGB computer case who need to replace the front I/O panel.
Tools: Oxygen XML, DITA XML, Adobe Photoshop, SnagIt
Skills: Process research, technical writing, conditional profiling, photo editing, instructional graphics.
Description: I have written this short guide to help fill in a gap I found when asking for help from Corsair's support team. I needed to replace the front I/O panel on my computer case, but wasn't sure how to access it for replacement. The support representative I spoke with tried to get additional information from a case specialist, but all they could supply me with was the same diagram as the one in the user manual. The diagram shows that it is possible to remove the top bezel to access the front I/O panel, but not how. Source DITA documents are available upon request.
Approach:
- Broke down the process into three task topics.
- Created a novice and expert version using conditional profiling. Certain elements, such as different instructional graphics and text, are only visible if necessary and cater to the knowledge level of the reader.
- Restricted word choice to keep the documentation as clear and concise as possible.
- Removed backgrounds from photos in Adobe Photoshop and then overlaid stamps and shapes in SnagIt to create instructional graphics.
David Bowie Serious Moonlight Tour Tribute Page (2022)
Target Audience: Anyone curious about my thoughts regarding David Bowie's 1983 Serious Moonlight tour.
Tools: Visual Studio Code, Google Sheets, Adobe Photoshop, GitHub
Skills: Content research, data analysis, data visualization, graphics creation, responsive web design, HTML, CSS.
Description: Honestly, this project can probably fit into any of the categories in this portfolio, but I'd like to showcase the writing and research I did for this more than anything else. This was one of the projects I completed for my freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design certification. It is a tribute page about my favorite David Bowie concert tour. The tone is more casual than my technical writing pieces. I also embedded some Google Sheets charts to support some of my points about the setlist used for the tour.
Approach:
- Built featuring a responsive design by writing HTML and CSS in Visual Studio Code.
- Researched the tour and found supporting information for setlist, interesting things that happened during the concert, and photo embeds from Getty Images.
- Visualized setlist data into three interactive embedded Google Sheets charts.
- Edited a photo in Adobe Photoshop into a small graphic for use in the bottom corner of the layout.
- Created an image comparing the quality of the DVD release of the tour to the PBS restored version.
Refurbish Standard Operating Procedure (2022)
Target Audience: Employees who work for Refurbish, an online (fictional) vintage toy store that repairs and resells Furbies.
Tools: Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop
Skills: Procedure research, technical writing, photo editing.
Description: Based on a realistic scenario, this standard operating procedure describes how to evaluate the cosmetic and operational condition of Furby electronic toys. Why did I write this? Furbies are a nostalgic toy for me, and I recently got sidetracked into researching exactly how they worked. Also, custom Furby toys have been surging in popularity on Etsy lately, so the scenario seemed somewhat possible.
Approach:
- Researched how the Furby electronic toys from 1998 and 1999 operate, and what mechanical parts and sensors they use.
- Wrote a standard operating procedure to check cosmetic condition of Furby and for working operation of all mechanical parts and sensors.
- Listed all required tools and forms, included cautionary and warning callouts, and provided detailed steps for evaluators to follow.
- Attached some photos illustrating where evaluators can locate the kickstart gear.
Coding Projects
freeCodingCamp Project: Personal Portfolio (2022)
Target Audience: You!
Tools: Visual Studio Code, Adobe Photoshop, GitHub
Skills: HTML, CSS, responsive web design, watercolor painting
Description: This probably looks very familiar to you. I have adapted my current portfolio layout from this freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design project I completed. This base version accommodates only writing samples and coding projects in two alternating sections.
Approach:
- Designed as a responsive layout that uses CSS flexbox and CSS grid components.
- Created the welcome section background graphics from a watercolor texture I painted.
- Selected the placeholder sample thumbnail from free clipart available online.
freeCodingCamp Project: Product Landing Page (2022)
Target Audience: Potential customers of the fictional honey company Happy Happy Honey.
Tools: Visual Studio Code, GitHub
Skills: HTML, CSS, responsive web design
Description: This is a simple product landing page that I made as a freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design project. I found a cute, free-to-use bee vector image. I then based a fictional honey company (Happy Happy Honey) on that clipart and built a landing page with product information for it.
Approach:
- Used a flexbox layout and responsive media queries to create a responsive web page.
- Selected a color scheme based on the overall theme of the honey business.
- Embedded a Youtube video that also resizes along with the page.
Java Simple Chess Framework (2019)
Target Audience: Not Applicable
Tools: NetBeans IDE, JDK8, Java
Skills: Basic Java programming, basic arrays, loops, creating methods, invoking methods.
Description: This Java sample is a very simple chess framework that I wrote as a coding class assignment. I used comments to document the different sections of the program. It contains no complex game rules or conditions to win; players take turns moving pieces to blank spaces on the board ad infinitum. Demonstrates the usage of loops, arrays, creating and invoking methods, and other basic Java programming techniques.
Approach:
- Authored and compiled in NetBeans IDE.
- Written to demonstrate the usage of loops, arrays, creating and invoking methods, and other basic Java programming techniques.
- Documented all sections of code for future reference.
- Tested to ensure there were no errors in logic or process.