Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Vande Moere and Boltzmann (2009) pro-
pose taxonomy of information display based
on context, in terms of the data it represents
and the environment it is located in, with three
categories: visualization as translation (with an
impartial display without context or contex-
tual relationship with the data, location, and
the viewer), visualization as augmentation (a
display within context or specifically designed
within the functionality of a specific physical
context, where both object and display provide
cues how to understand the displayed content),
and visualization as embodiment (where a dis-
play is context, for instance, pixel sculptures,
physical installations with matrices of repeated
objects to simulate text and objects; they address
the physical medium of the display itself rather
than communicate specific content, and often
the display medium overwhelms the meaning
of the content, and the display cannot exist
without the information). The authors point out
that the emerging field of data sculptures ad-
dresses the materialization of information into
three-dimensional form, where metaphorical
distance between sign (the information) and
object (the materialization of the information)
plays an important role in how the information
is interpreted.
Applications for mobile devices such as hand-
helds and smart phones make easy to use them as
desktop applications. Usage of information visu-
alization techniques reduces limitation caused by
a small visual area for analysis, and enhances the
presentation, search, and analysis of data. When
applying information visualization techniques
for mobile devices, for the geo-referenced data in
the maps visualization techniques include, for ex-
ample, the scatterplot graphs, while visualization
of hierarchical structures involves the treemaps
(Clayton, Pinheiro, Meiguins, Simões, Meiguins,
& Almeida, 2008).
In order to explore the visual way of learn-
ing and create an opportunity for students to
study visually, I asked them to work on a visual
learning project lasting the whole semester. Stu-
dents were asked to study visually for another
course they were enrolled concurrently (they
considered the most difficult in the semester)
by applying knowledge gained in my Visual
Learning course, where they learned about
data-, information-, and knowledge visualiza-
tion, and techniques related to visual display
of quantitative information introduced in the
topics of Edward Tufte. Students presented
in a visual way all the material required for
another course. The progressive stages of their
study culminated in a final project taking the
form of an illustrated graph or a set of graphs,
visualization, a game, and several other forms
of display. Some examples of student work are
presented below.
In the data visualization project, students
used their knowledge to summarize time-based
processes within a specific field. This approach
utilized design skills and knowledge that students
developed over the semester. In the “Aesthetic
explanation of motion picture making” the author
provided, in a visual manner instruction concern-
ing the use of a video camera. Corwin Bell, the
author of this project (who titled it also “Cinematic
Mass Option Syndrome”) set down all factors
on a surface of the graphics, so viewers could
examine relations between artistic and technical
aspects (Figure 4). In summary, this graph could
possibly serve as a basis for writing a topic on
the subject of motion picture making because it
juxtaposes concepts with objects, and then shows
the relationships and dependencies between them
See Table 9 for Your Reaction and Visual
Answer.
The website http://prezi.com/8_i4pmtb6t_t/
timeline/ shows a timeline of major events in art
history presented in space, time, and context.
Student created it using Prezi in order to show
how major artworks were set in time and geo-
graphically, with attention placed on events shap-
ing them.
