Visualization Overview
The following interactive line chart visualization captures evolving trends in Kickstarter project success rates over a 15-year span, from 2009 to 2023. The X-axis represents the year of project launch, while the Y-axis indicates the average success rate—defined as the percentage of projects that reached or surpassed their funding goals within each selected category or subcategory.
Users can interact with the visualization by selecting two different categories and corresponding subcategories from dynamic dropdown menus. This allows for side-by-side comparison of success rates across creative sectors such as Art, Technology, Music, Film, and more. Additionally, a slider at the bottom enables viewers to explore how success rates evolved over time. Hovering over each data point reveals detailed tooltips, including the year, category, subcategory, average success rate (as a percentage), and the total and successful number of projects (if available).
Each line represents a selected category or subcategory, and smooth animations emphasize the progression of trends over time. The visual is responsive and optimized for engagement, enabling users to easily draw comparisons and uncover sector-specific funding dynamics.
Why This Visualization Matters
This visualization offers valuable insights into the performance of crowdfunding efforts on Kickstarter—a platform that has played a pivotal role in democratizing access to capital for creative and entrepreneurial ventures. By allowing users to compare success rates across different fields and over time, the chart reveals:
- Which sectors consistently perform well
- Emerging trends in backer confidence
- Volatility or growth in niche creative areas
- The impact of global events (e.g., the 2020 pandemic) on crowdfunding success
Such data-driven insights can inform creators, cultural policymakers, funders, and analysts, helping them better understand which areas of the creative economy are thriving, which may need support, and how trends shift in response to economic, technological, and societal changes.
Topics
Artists, Entertainment Groups, Jobs
Chart Type
Visualization Type
Citation
Visualization by: Adithya Singupati
Data Source: Jonathan Leland, Kickstarter. Kickstarter Data, Global, 2009–2023 (ICPSR 38050). Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), 2024. Retrieved from https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/web/NADAC/studies/38050