Expressing Information
Christian Marc Schmidt
anything@christianmarcschmidt.com
Interactive Telecommunications Program
NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Fall 2007
overview / assignments / resources / glossary
Expressing Information Course Materials
· Entity-Relationship Model, Gestalt, & Approaches for Expressing Information (PDF)
· Design Workshop Description (PDF)
· Presentation: Survey of Information Visualization (PDF)
Course Description
The goal of this course is to discover the expressive qualities of information. A powerful communication tool, information visualization is essentially a rhetorical device. Increasingly, we rely on interpretation to process the growing amount of information available to us, and by visualizing information, we are interpreting it. The Internet is becoming a rich source of information with the potential to impact our lives, on topics such as global and domestic politics, health, the economy, and the environment. This workshop explores the interpretive use of information visualization to create engagement and inspire action, by bringing these information sources to a mainstream audience.
Students will work on two information visualization projects, including a project using the collection database of the Museum of Arts & Design, and a project based on an information source of their choice. Basic programming or action-script skills are required.
The class will be conducted as a design studio with bi-monthly critiques. It will include some seminar discussions and guest visits by experts in the design profession.
All aspects of visual communication will be addressed, with an emphasis on typography, layout, color, and motion. Students need not have any formal design training, but should come with a particular interest in and commitment to honing their design skills.
Download course syllabus (PDF)
Collection Project (weeks 2–6)
The Museum of Arts & Design has a unique and diverse collection of objects in ceramic, glass, fiber, metal and wood. The goal of this four-week workshop will be to create an interpretation from a cross-section of the collection by expressing it in such a way that the result remains integral to the collection itself, yet is also reflective of a distinctly personal point of view.
Download full project description (PDF)
Independent Project (weeks 8–14)
Increased information accessibility online has helped popularize information visualization, which recently has generated a wealth of examples. Often, their appeal lies in the claim to offer an objective, even scientific viewpoint. Yet, as Denis Wood has said, by appearing to be objective, maps conceal what Roland Barthes has called myth. Data visualization is no different—every decision made in the process of converting data into image is a choice, reflecting a unique perspective or interpretation. The claim of objectivity disregards the impact of the image on the interpretation of an information source.
In this workshop, students will explore the role of identity in information visualization. The best visual identities work at multiple levels: They are recognizable, or iconic; they convey the essence of the subject they represent; and they are adaptive, meaning they can exist in a variety of contexts. Visual identities are graphic systems, which are created through the controlled use of typography, imagery, color, behavior, and motion. Representing data in terms of conveying its identity means creating an interpretive response highly 'tailored' to the data source itself. A successful visualization as an outcome of this project should not be replicable for any other source than the one it originated from.
Ultimately, identity is a form of interpretation. Visualization is about connecting ideas—it is the quality of the connections and their implications that matter most. Any visualization’s primary purpose should be to engage and inspire action—as George Siemens states, visualization is an introduction to information; it is the beginning of further research, not the end. It should encourage learning and offer entry points into further exploration of the subject matter.
Each student will develop an interpretive approach in regard to the identity and visualization of a chosen information source. Whether the visualization contradicts, supports or supplements the data it is based on, the goal will be to clearly articulate the interpretive message, allowing the recipient to understand how the information impacts their lives.
This semester, each student will select a source of information to work with that he or she cares about. Students will develop a dynamic representation of their information source that focuses on engaging the audience. Special consideration will be given to the form and siting (or location) of this representation. Possibilities for form are open. It can be anything from an interactive screen-based application to a haptic device or lighting installation.
Course Calendar
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| Sept 4 | Course overview Presentation: Survey of Information Visualization |
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| Sept 11 | Introduction to the Collection Project, with the Museum of Arts & Design curators Class review of information visualization examples |
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| Sept 18 | Class review of Week 2 assignment |
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| Sept 25 | Class review of Week 3 assignment |
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| Oct 2 | Individual meetings |
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| Oct 9 | Collection Project project presentations and final review, with visiting critics from the Museum of Arts & Design |
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| Oct 16 | Design workshop |
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| Oct 23 | Presentation: Approaches for Expressing Information Class review of Independent Project proposals |
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| Oct 30 | Individual meetings |
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| Nov 6 | Individual meetings |
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| Nov 13 | Class review |
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| Nov 20 | Class review (in groups) |
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| Nov 27 | Individual meetings |
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| Dec 4 | Independent Project final review with guest critics |