Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
The quantity of such data makes it extremely diffi cult to gain
a “big picture” understanding of its meaning. The problem is
further compounded by the continually changing nature of the
data, the result of new information being added, or older in-
formation being continuously refi ned. The amount of data ne-
cessitates new software-based tools, and its complexity requires
extra consideration be taken in its visual representation in order
to highlight features in order of their importance, reveal pat-
terns in the data, and simultaneously show features of the data
that exist across multiple dimensions.
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Fry's images tend to incorporate interactive elements that draw the
viewer/user into an exploration of the patterns in the underlying data.
For instance, one of Fry's creations tracks the performance of major
league baseball teams against their total salary expenditure.
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By drag-
ging a bar at the top of the image, the user can adjust the date at which
the comparison is made, showing how teams' performances change over
the course of the season.
In biology, Fry has developed a prototype of a handheld genome
browser, a visual representation of the BLAST algorithm (called “Ge-
nome Valence”), software for generating a three-dimensional axono-
metric display of genes on a chromosome, a tool for understanding
haplotype data, a three-dimensional genome browser (called “Strippy”),
and a redesigned two-dimensional genome browser.
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The main example
elaborated in his thesis is a sophisticated tool for viewing genetic varia-
tion between individuals, which combines haplotype data (SNPs) with
linkage disequilibrium data. The user is able to view the data in multiple
ways; clicking on different parts of the image exposes new informa-
tion or more details. “The user can easily transition between each type
of view. . . . The software is built to morph between representations,
providing a tight coupling between the qualitative—useful for an initial
impression and getting a “feel” for that data—with the quantitative—
necessary for determining specifi c frequencies of haplotypes of interest
for specifi c study.”
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In describing his concept of computational information design, Fry
argues that the role of the designer is not to create complex images that
summarize all the data, but rather to fi nd out which data are necessary
to answer a particular question and to make sure that they stand out
in the image. He uses the example of the London Underground map,
designed in the 1930s, to show how simplifi cation to horizontal, verti-
