I’m putting 2 readings together here. Some you’ll need to read for Monday January 30th, some for Feb 1. You might want to read ahead a bit. There are reading discussions for each (one due before Monday morning, one due before Wednesday morning).
This week kind of has two interrelated topics:
- What is visualization? (and what kinds are there?)
- Overview of the topic
These two questions are quite intertwined. They also connect with some later topics (specifically evaluation, but more generally all the topics that we will see in more detail throughout the course).
Reading 2M (What kinds of Vis)
For the “What is Visualization” Part, there is no real right answer – everyone has their own opinion. I want you to get a few different ideas.
I’d like you to look at a few “blog posts” to get some ideas of some of the words. I don’t necessarily agree with them. But they provide a starting point for conversation. The first one isn’t a blog post – it’s a chapter from the book “Designing Data Visualizations” which was written by a blogger. I
I have put the chapter online in the protected reader.
- Classifications of Visualizations. Chapter 1 of Designing Data Visualizations. by Illinsky & Steele.
- http://eagereyes.org/criticism/definition-of-visualization
- http://eagereyes.org/blog/2011/the-many-names-of-visualization
- http://flowingdata.com/2011/09/29/the-many-words-for-visualization/
- http://eagereyes.org/blog/2010/the-difference-between-infographics-and-visualization
This one is a “how to” article from a very different perspective. It’s so extreme I am not sure if it was meant to be taken seriously, by it’s good for conveying it’s perspective:
The other readings are more a blend of an overview of the field, as well as more about the question of what is vis. The first two are especially a mix.
The first will be your first exposure (in this class at least) to Tufte, by looking at the first chapter in his first book. This chapter is a mix of what is vis, why to do vis, and how we’ll know it’s good (the three questions we’ll start the class with). (if you don’t know who Tufte is, this magazine article might help you sort it out. if you do know who Tufte is, you might find this article about him entertaining).
- Edward Tufte. Graphical Excellence. Chapter 1 of The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. 2nd edition (any edition is OK). Graphics Press, 2001. (in course reader – warning: 32MB file!)
The second is a nice online article that gives a quick glance at a lot of different perspectives. (One emphasis in our discussion will be all the different perspectives).
- Stephen Few. Data Visualization for Human Perception. (online article at interaction.org)
Read these before Monday, Jan 30th (to be prepared to discuss in class). Post your comments on the Piazza discussion for this reading (2M) before 6am on Monday Jan 30th. The basic question for the discussion (that you must answer) is: What is your perspective on what visualization is, and how does it relate to the others we’re learning about. (Piazza page)
Yes, there are 8 readings, but all of them (except Tufte) are pretty short and light.
Reading 2W (Overview of Vis)
The next readings are more of a quick survey of a lot of the topics we’ll cover in detail in the class.
- Heer, Jeffrey, Michael Bostock, and Vadim Ogievetsky. “A tour through the visualization zoo.” Communications of the ACM 53, no. 6 (June 1, 2010): 59. (online version) (another online version) (doi)
- Tamara Munzner. Visualization. Chapter 27 of Peter Shirley, Steven Marschner et al. Fundamentals of Computer Graphics, 3e. AK. Peters, 2009. (this book is the 559 Textbook, so many of you have it, alternatively, she has a copy of the chapter online, or there’s a version in the protected course reader.
Read these before Wednesday, Feb 1. Before 6am, post to the Piazza page for this reading (2W) your thoughts. In particular, how these articles address the broader question of “what is visualization” given in the first round.
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