Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Approach
Jens and Andreas took a quote from Ben Fry as a starting point for the project: 'All
data problems begin with a question. The answer to the question is a kind of narrat-
ive, a piece that describes a clear answer to the question without extraneous details'
(
Computational Information Design
, 2004). Jens and Andreas had to think carefully
about how to manage, analyze and visualize large amounts of information by digital
means. It became clear that the social network of the Bauhaus movement could only
be understood in single manageable sections. An interactive exhibit would give vis-
itors the opportunity to break down and view the network based on their individual
interests.
In order for this to be achieved, the designers had to gather all the data they could
about the Bauhaus members. Dr Folke Dietzsch provided some of this information in
his PhD thesis
The Students of the Bauhaus
(1991), which contained extensive data
about the students. The ability to present the Bauhaus social network and their dif-
ferent geographical locations at specific times was a challenge. It became necessary
to develop a special web-based database, which became the core of the project. This
database has been updated with relevant information since 2008. It includes inform-
ation about all the representatives of the Bauhaus, such as where they were born,
where they lived and any significant events they experienced. Interpersonal relation-
ships have also been stored and categorized, such as working relationships and close
friendships. It was important to build a flexible and extensive data structure that could
be expanded over time. The database is fed by a web application; this in turn gener-
ates information for the printed matter and the exhibition.
The acquisition of this data allowed the designers to show insights into this social net-
work and present them graphically. Analyzing the data gave rise to complex visuals
so that users could be presented with information as a dynamic network and not in
a static form. This needed a graphical interface that could distinguish between indi-
vidual members of the Bauhaus and depict the relationships among them.
The concept for the exhibition interior was broken down into three parts: the chro-
nological archive, the interpersonal archives, and the network archive, including the
interactive table.
The chronological archive on the left of the cube presents biographies of 60 selected
representatives of the Bauhaus in a grid of 20 wide by 3 high. This is a summary
of the lives of these members. The text is presented as bar graphs that represent the
length of certain portions of their lives. As a result it is possible for the viewer to gain
