EmilyW.DR

Design Rationale

When I started thinking about what I could do for my final project, I wanted to do it about something I knew only a little about, but wanted to learn more. I decided to do it about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred about a year ago now. I didn't know many details about this event before I started researching it. The only thing I knew was that it was a catastrophic tragedy that I probably should know more about. There was a plenty of quantifiable information that I could easily gather and by collecting and organizing that information so that it would be easy for other people to understand, I too gained a greater understanding of this unfortunate event.

In the beginning, I wanted to do my final piece about all of the oil spills that have occurred in or by fault of the U.S.A. I quickly learned that this was much too ambitious a task for the amount of time that we were provided to complete the project. After some good advice I decided to pick three pieces of information about these oil spills that I could represent together in miniature info graphics on one larger poster. I picked the environment, gallons spilled, and cost. As I started my research I found things in these categories that could've taken years to organize them all so then I decide to narrow my topic to the oil spill that was most recent and the largest yet: Deep Water Horizon BP. Through my research I found reliable sources that gave me a good base of information about the casualties, estimated gallons spilled per day, total gallons spilled per day, total area the oil slick spread, and information about the effects on wildlife. I decide to make a few different info graphics and combine them together to design one larger poster full of information about this spill.

I used a pretty neutral color palette because there is a lot of information packed onto the spread and I didn't want it to be overwhelming to look at. I used a lot of browns to reference oil and a lot of different shades and tints of yellowy orange to pull out the accent in the bp logo. I tried very hard to make good use of layering techniques using hue, saturation, value and also different typographical hierarchy techniques. Since I have a large amount of information represented in different ways, I think layering is the most important part of my design. There needs to be separation between all the elements of information while maintaining a sense of continuity as well. Color, font style, and graphic style hold this piece together and help the viewer process it all as one fluid information diagram. If I didn't use these elements, the information would start to fall apart and even though it's all related it would be hard to draw visual connections through the piece.

There are somethings that I would like to change but due to time restraints I will have to finish the project on my own after class. I would like to add a visual progression of the oil spill. It would be interesting to show how, over time, the oil slick moved and grew and drifted closer to shore on the surface of the ocean. The information and pictures on the 'Effects on Gulf of Mexico Marine Life' chart are taken almost directly from the National Wildlife Federation website so I would like to modify it more to make my own icons for the animals and change the information slightly so that it's not word for word. I might be able to fit it a little better too because right now the typography looks a bit tight.

Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill info graphic seems to be on its way towards success. My ultimate goal is to finish it and use it as a piece in my portfolio when I apply to jobs after the completion of this class because it's my last one! Finally. Woo Hooo!

Bibliography:

Rogers, Simon.."BP Oil Spill-Official Deepwater Horizon Disaster Timeline."datablog. Web 9 September 2010

Buczynski, Beth.. "Gulf Oil Spill-10 Horrifying Facts you Never Wanted to Know." The Environment and Wildlife Cause. Web 27 May 2010

NWF "How does the BP Oil Spill Impact Wildlife and Habitat?" Gulf Oil Disaster. Web 20 June 2011

Emily

Design Rationale

Rachel+H+R12

This is definitely the most in-depth artist statement I've read. The article states the artists inspiration, the thought process, the art making process, materials used etc. The author did a good job briefly explaining the Big Bang and how each component of the sculpture directly relates to the scientific data. I cannot even imagine the amount of research the artist must of conducted before taking on this massive challenge. I would think that explaining the sculptures in words to an audience, especially people unfamiliar with the details of the Big Bang, would be quite a difficult task as well. In this case, I believe it is absolutely necessary to have an artist statement with these sculptures, nobody would know otherwise all of the precise calculations and research that went into the pieces unless you tell people. The statement clarifies the artist's intent and gives the audience in-depth background knowledge that is vital to the understanding of the An End to Modernity.

EmilyW

Which one is better?

Specht_N R12

This article particularly struck me because of the artist's ability to take a complicated physics analysis about the big bang and turn it into a beautiful sculpture that visualized the unattainable. The task to create a distilled visual version of the creation of time and space and the resulting affects, and the amount of measurements and data that needed to be calculated for accuracy is mind-blowing. The use of the lamps to portray the life-cycle of the quasar's was affective because of the dimming and brightening of the lights to indicate movement through time. The choice to create chandelier like spherical structures that hang from the ceiling allows for the viewer to see the universe from an three-dimensional outside perspective. The use of glass pieces to represent outer galaxies is also interesting because of it's natural reflective surface. Much of the sculpture is made of reflective material, probably since we view objects in space as the light that has traveled through space.

JordanO_R05

There are a number of interesting suggestions made in this article from Tufte. I think some of the most interesting points come from the comparison between the old train schedule from New York to New Haven and the redesigned schedule that is on the next page. Tufte makes a lot of good points when he is talking about the old schedule and the wasted space that creates a great deal of empty paper. I am a firm believer that white space if used effectively will make you design stronger, and stand out more in the benefit of the designs context. In this case the white space is miss used and forces the rest of the information to be cramped into little columns that puts the legibility of this schedule in question. With these columns being so crowded already there is an over abundant amount of information stuck into them. There are 24 AM’s and PM’s as the author states and this is a great deal of over repeated information. I think the separation of these columns and information in them is the biggest mistake in the old version of the schedule. Related information is to far apart from each other making your eye create a lengthy visual line to find the related time. In relation to that there is another problem created when the information is pushed out to the edges of these columns. They create the visual appearance that the information on either side of the line is the information related to one another and not the information that is in the relating column. This is a visual trick and is easy fix as far as alignment goes.

When you take a look at the new version of this schedule you see a totally different style of table, and a much more effective one for that manner. You now have a clear distinction of which way you are traveling. Are you traveling from New York to New Haven or New Haven to New York? It is easy to distinguish which line you will be taking and where you are headed. The second difference that makes this much easier to read is the fact that the weekend and holidays section now has its own distinct column. The two categories have a separation now and are laid out in exactly the same way making them easy to understand and legible to the viewer. The loss of many of the rules greatly help reduce noise in this chart and keeps you moving down the information that you intend to find. The columns are now nicely space in relation to one another now. There is a clear distinction between departure and arrival and then the secondary column similar information relating to weekends and Holidays. I add that I think the typeface that they chose to use for this works great. A newspaper print typeface is a genius idea for compacted information.

There are many other great points to pull out of this article. I chose to primarily focus on one example being the train schedule. There are many great things just to be learned form dissecting this pocket schedule. I plan to keep these ideas in the back of my head and use them in future design pieces of mine. I also am now interested in finding more cool newspaper fonts such as this one. They might come in handy someday.

JordanO_R11

When dealing with the price of admission at museums there are a lot of things to be considered. The value of this experience is the most important aspect in my opinion. Will you be experiencing a top of the line, first class learning environment, or will you be walking through a run down piece of ancient history. A complete highly maintained museum environment is one that I would be willing to pay more for than one with broken exhibits or missing information.

In the case of the Milwaukee museums that we visited we experienced two very different environments. On one hand we went through the Milwaukee Public Museum. This mine as well have been a time capsule in it self. This museum has not been clearly renovated for quiet some time. There are a few newer exhibits that are poorly plopped in to this museum where they could find the space to fit them. The butterfly garden and the IMAX Theater are about the only modern looking aspects in this facility and everything else appeared to be very dated. The level of quality definitely faded as you moved up the stairs and the age of this museum really started to show. Information was displayed in a terrible manner and the types of information display were not cohesive in any manner. Maps were displayed in 3D, 2D, and in a variation of other forms somewhere in between. Typefaces were a mess as nothing seemed to be cohesive throughout the museum at all. The most disappointing thing is that some of the information seemed dated and in some cases has been removed for one reason or another and now stands incomplete.

This leads me over to the Discovery World museum at this point in time. I went there expecting a more interactive and up to date experience and that is surely what I got. Before I leave my last point of missing or disappearing information I will note that this was also the case in Discovery world. On a number of occasions the signs with the information about items on displays were completely missing. With that point set aside I hade a much more enjoyable experience at Discovery world. The exhibits were modern, and up to date. The information was relevant to modern history and the facility was new and felt more welcoming than MPM did. This would be the museum that I would choose hands down to take my children to someday when I have them. They will be lucky not to fall asleep in MPM. That is of course of they don’t close that building down in 10 years to remove all of the cobwebs and dust from their 60 year old displays. The design of this building was a bit confusing in the aspect that it was split into to sections that were not connected to each other, other than the main walk way and were very separated from one another. However the signage and exhibits had wonderful design and were much more legible and to the point that the ones at MPM. All of this leads me back to my point of the price of admission. I was able to get in free to MPM on the Monday that I went. I would gladly go to this museum for free anytime. When you are going to ask me to pay the same price of admission that I would pay at Discovery world you are going to loose me for sure, unless there is a reason I need to be at MPM. The only reason I was able to get in for free was the fact that I lived here in Milwaukee County.

In one more note about the reading. I think that the price of student admission should be free to little charge. This goes for all ages with proper identification. I find it surprising and yes, discriminating that they would only grant this admission to younger students in some countries. I am sure the same goes for various areas of the United States, but this needs to be fixed. The price of knowledge for those who truly seek it, deserve it at a price they can afford. A college student regardless of age is going to have finical restriction in most cases. Give the students a free admission once a year if anything. It would be a great service to any education system worldwide.

Kate+D+R12

Sometimes writing about your own art can be challenging because so much of it is emotion based but if you’re able to get your ideas out on paper it’s easier to draw in an audience. This article speaks very concisely about the artists project and really gives the reader a visualization of what the final product looks like. Right in the first paragraph the author cites his inspiration for the piece as the chandeliers inside the Metropolitan Opera House so that gives the reader an idea of what his piece may look like. His writing then goes on to the second paragraph to explain a few of the materials he chose to form his sculpture from and a brief reasoning for his choices. I like that the author tells us about what the Big Bang is without going into so much scientific detail that would make it not understandable to the ordinary person. Granted I had to read it twice to get a better understanding of it but it was still readable. The author ties in his artistic reasoning as well as his knowledge of the research to provide us with an artist statement that is clear and concise. It’s very clear that the artist had a specific intent when making “An End to Modernity” and that he is able to write clearly about it.

Hyrom-S-R12

After reviewing the weekend case study once again, I noticed how much information that I missed from the first time reading it. I learned that information must black and white yet very practical as well. There’s no need to spend a lot of time trying to conveniently display information if that information is not clear. As designers, we should always aim to make our work extremely bearable to the observer. Whether its data we designing or a lesson being taught understanding is the true key to the benefits of learning. We are the authors of the ability to create new information for viewers. As a matter of fact, I had to learn this factor the hard way because I was trying to force informational design to be one dimensional while one plus one equals three. I observed that there’s no need to neither rush things nor force them because through patience and smart procedure the proper way of establishing a clever plan is at bay. Information design is also one of the brilliant ways in which great data can be easily put into action. For example, when you read the instructions to put a piece of furniture together, the clear understanding of the instructions help you solve the problem. Therefore, the orderly way of information design is extremely important.

JenniferL_R10

In Saul Carliner's blog post, "Reflections on Museums 3: Different Ways of Learning Museums" he discusses the way different people approach and process the same information based on their interests and knowledge base. I completely agree with his argument. When we had to go on our field trips, I found myself spending more time with exhibits that contained topics I was already interested in and less time with ones that contained topics I was not already curious about. I think this type of selection is quite a natural thing that humans do on a daily basis. For example, I know I'm much more engaged in classes that contain information that interest me. The same goes for choosing a movie to see or what store to shop in. We are constantly "window shopping" our way through life. If the introductory information can hook us in some way, we proceed to investigate further. It really can be applied to almost anything: dating, buying furniture, choosing the next book you'll read, what city you'll take a trip to next, etc, etc. I also like how Saul talked about how other people in our lives can affect what we become interested in. I know people I've dated or friends I've gotten to know have opened my mind up to new ideas, cultures, hobbies, and the like. Our connections to other people are strong enough to influence our discrete yet highly selective minds. Our classes attempt to do this as well, some more successful than others. I find, as I'm sure my professors do as well, that when I must respond to a reading I often compare what is going on in the reading to my own personal experiences. It helps me engage with the content better, especially if the content contains unfamiliar territory. I suppose it is a natural thing for me to do. My mind immediately tries to finds connections between what I'm learning and what I already know. It's attempting to learn the information by comparing it to something familiar or something I'm already interested in. I suppose in the design world, you can't really control how people will take in what you create. Just as well, if you can find a common familiarity that most people can relate to and put it in your design, you'll probably have a better chance of people paying attention. I suppose this is why we're taught certain "rules" when it comes to design and typography because they're common and familiar to a wide range of people.

JenniferL_R09

For this reading we were presented with multiple instructional graphics. The first one regarding hanging a frame I thought was successful in delivering its directions. I actually used to intern at an art gallery and have personal experience hanging frames. It is a lot harder than people realize, especially when you need to hang multiple frames at the exact same height so they line up. One show involved multiple artists and all of their works were framed differently. It was very hard to get them to all sit with their top edges aligned. It took a lot of trial and error along with plenty of pencil marks on the gallery wall. This simple technique involving measuring the depth of the hanging cord with a piece of paper would have greatly helped us hang this show! I guess I enjoyed this graphic the most compared to the others because it was about a topic that you wouldn't really expect to need directions for. I don't think I remember ever buying a frame that came with hanging directions. This information is kind of common sense, but I could have really used it when I worked for that gallery show. I think a great website idea would be a site where you could search for random, usually considered "useless," information. I think all the other graphics including the bike, cigarette papers, diapers, and the flat tire were images that I expected to exist because they contain more complicated ideas. I'm not sure if these graphics contain all the necessary information but I understand why someone tried to make them. The picture frame one was the black sheep or the unexpected one of the bunch, which is probably why I was more drawn to it. I think this idea of having an "unexpected" factor in every day design is something to think about if you're trying to draw attention to a piece of work.

JenniferL_R06

This reading brought up some great points about how we use visual links to convey information. Visual links can be helpful, but as Tufte and others point out, the way links are expressed and treated highly affects the outcome of the information. I enjoyed the example of the art museum layout where we were presented the original map and a version without arrows. Without the arrows we were left with a bunch of words and confusing patches of white space that didn't particularly tell a story or hint at any sort of arrangement. This example showed the importance of the visual connections in this type of graphic. The way the connections are pictured might be more important though. I like the quote from art historian Michael Baxandall about reversing how you look at influence. My favorite part is when he says, "If we think of Y rather than X as the agent, the vocabulary is much richer and more attractively diversified." I think this is a good way to look at how things affect each other. People usually say that your past affects your future, but I can also see the reverse. I think how you pursue your future and how things happen affect how you look at the past and how you remember it. Some people blame the past for what happens now, while other people make changes based on what they learned in the past. It is the same for art and the way it changes and moves. The art created now affects how people and historians look at art of the past. Influence is not just a forward moving machine. I also liked how Tufte pointed out that some major connections in this exhibition map were missing. I almost think that this is an understatement. Yes, there were clearly major connections that were missing that are generally recognized by history. On the other hand, I think more things are connected than we realize. For the purpose of information design, I suppose it is only important to show the most important connections based on the goal of the graphic, but I do feel it is important to consider all the possibilities.

KarenR_R12

An End to Modernity and the other sculptures like it by Josiah McElheny are all beautiful representations of space and time. An End to Modernity was my favorite. The density of the rods with the reflective ball in the middle really makes it feel like it is expanding. All of these sculptures are to depict the universe in different states of its evolution. They are beautiful works of art. If I were to see them without having read this essay, I would never know the reasoning for the specific forms, but I still believe I would be able to correlate the forms to outer space. However, I would not classify this as an info graphic. It is beautiful, but it does not present any hardcore facts or communicate any information. Without a detailed explanation like this essay, I would not have been aware of all the research and calculations that went into making these. It is ambitious to attempt to represent the whole universe in one sculpture, or a few. It is impossible not to lose the scale of it all. The size, the vastness, simply cannot be captured. If these sculptures were bigger, change inches to feet in the measurements, I believe the effect would be greater.

umesh + D+ R12

The article by Weinberg “From the Big Bang to the Multiverse: Translation in Space and Time” starts with meeting with McElheny, takes inspiration from spectacular lobmeyer chandeliers and states the meaning of Big Bang “Big Bang is origin of space and time, initiating and expansion that occur everywhere and has no center”. The Goal is to how to depict Big Bang? They have long discussion of 3 hours and come to solution retaining the basic structure of sketch but change the interpretation of the structure by using spatial dimension to present time, Incorporating many feature of cosmic evolution. Then detail descriptions goes on how 230 radiating rod terminates in a cluster of hand formed glass globes represent cluster of galaxies and then single lamp represent a quasar. They created certain rules to control, relationship to the length of rod and cosmic epoch that correspond to terminating point.

The article goes from An End to Modernity, The End of the Dark ages, and Island Universe in details in explaining what they mean, from history of astronomy to various theories of different physicis. The writer explain's depth of knowledge of own subject matter. Its the project of collaborative nature between scientist and artist.

Looking the images and reading the description of each title of sculpture make more compelling arguments. But going through the images of sculptures at first glance, I thought all were the same piece exhibited in different time and place. Looking closer to its title it clearly indicates that are totally different from one to other. The descriptive article helped to understand its reason or meaning what was the idea, purpose, process and every single move the artist/group’s envision of the project and tell the world its meaning.

Andrew+M+R12

My favorite quote from the reading describes “our entire observable universe is but one of many “bubbles” in an inflationary sea” which describes how far we are from the rest the universe and how everything else in the universe is far from every other thing in the universe. The vast distances between stars paints a very insulating and somewhat lonely feeling. With the closest star, Proxima Centauri, being 4.2 light years away, travel to other solar systems seems impossible even if we could travel at the speed of light.

Such topics always led me to imagine humanity advancing to a point of travel faster than light, which then quickly leads me to think that if such speed was possible, why haven’t aliens already come to us? Maybe we’re the first forms of life to reach this level of intelligence or maybe higher forms of life with such abilities to travel the universe are so far advanced that they are unaware of our ant like existence and we are unaware, or unable to conceive of, their godlike existence.

Either way, traveling to the Alpha Centuri system would result in very unique scenery. With its 3 stars of varying size and color, the system must produce interesting day/night cycles. Information design in regards the suns, moons and seasons of a planet in that area would be an interesting challenge and would produce wildly dynamic graphs due to the complex components of the solar system.

Thoughts on the beginning of the universe always lead me to think of its end; and just as the universe has a beginning and end, I often cannot help but to wonder what happens before and after a lifetime. Life and death, beginning and end, the very small and the very large; these topics never get the attention they deserve in our culture and I’m inspired by anyone who uses them as a basis for their work because as Carl Sagan said: “We are made of star stuff. We are a way for the Cosmos to know itself.”

GordonGR12

Information Design ~ Reading Day 12 ~ Our reading assignment for the day is a bit of a time travel on several levels. First of all, we are reviewing an essay that had been assigned to us from about three weeks ago. Secondly, the subject matter takes us on a journey back about 14 billion years in its interpretation of the history of the expanding universe. An excellent juxtaposition by Bethany Armstrong!

Regardless of my position on the validity of the “science”, my appreciation for the artistic interpretation of the cosmic adventure is whelmed. David Weinberg, Ohio State University, Department of Astronomy gives us his thoughts in his essay From the Big Bang to the Mutiverse: Translations in Space and Time. In his essay, he follows the artist Josiah McElheny’s process in creating “An End to Modernity”. Josiah wanted to capture the theory of evolution in all its big bang glory. Not your everyday simple consignment!

I think the real art here was in his dedication to detail. Josiah was true to his vision in regurgitating out his glass and wire masterpiece. I found fascinating lessons in his methods of interpretation. As I read the essay and followed Josiah’s methodology, I couldn’t help but think of J.K. Rowling and her fanciful run of Harry Potter. Both have made beauty out of the wonders of their mind.

I have learned that Information Design can take on many forms. The historical charts and maps were the building blocks for the graphs of news papers and signs. Color printing and technological advances brought life to ink and video. Kiosks, computers and phones hold and deliver more information now than ever dreamed possible… at least until tomorrow. Huh, how’s that for an evolution that needs no theory?!

JordanO_R10

Museums provide various levels of learning for all kinds of people and even though there is the same information available to everyone, not everyone will always take away the same information. This not only goes for learning that takes place in museums but anywhere in life. People will be drawn to what they have natural interest in. If they have natural interest in a certain subject that person is more likely to take that information into greater depth and take greater lengths to concentrate and acquire the knowledge. People will not always gain the same levels of information either. Sometimes a person will have previous background knowledge about a certain subject and this will cause them to learn less about the topic being studied compared to the other people taking in the experience. This comes from them having a basic knowledge of the subject matter causing them to learn more specifics about a topic and fill in the gaps in more detail. The person learning this information for the first time will acquirer more basic knowledge but will not be able to retain or comprehend some of the complex details without the previous experience or added interest.

I think that another great aspect of this free learning system that we use for museum visits and taking in knowledge on a daily basis outside of a controlled learning environment is the choice of learning methods. Everyone will choose to learn at his or her own pace or own particular style if given the choice. The writer of the blog stated in the reading that he noticed a significant difference in learning methods from person to person. He preferred reading the signage and the use of visuals to gather information about a certain subject, where as his partner would often choose the auditory method of learning. Along with that people will often choose the method of learning that is most comfortable to them. Because the writers partners native language was Spanish he chose to use the Spanish audio tapes in the museums because it was a more natural form of learning for him than reading in English or another language.

I find that when I go through museums that I am often are more interested in the objects themselves than I am the explanation. If something truly captures my attention then I will invest more time and interest in that subject and further my learning about that topic. When I think back to the learning we did in the museums we went to, I found myself going after the information that we were required to get first. If then I was more interested I would spend the addition time to gather the rest of the information presented on display. I think that especially in Discovery World I found myself wandering to various exhibits even that weren’t highlighted in our questionnaire because I was interested in them. Storms have fascinated me for quiet some time so anything about weather such as the exhibit presented MATC instantly gained my attention. Even though we were not required to gain any knowledge as a class at this exhibit I was fascinated and built new knowledge off of my previous knowledge. I found that I new quiet a few of the fact in this exhibit, but was still able to give myself further information about something I already had a background in.

Learning is a different process for everyone and everyone learns differently. This is such a true statement and when designing museums, or in our case info graphics it is important to keep in mind the various types of learning and making sure more than one type is available if possible. I think that would greatly insure the retention of your information and increase interest from a greater number of people.

Paul-A-R12

David Weinberg’s essay on Josiah McElheny’s work entitled An End to Modernity is very much like the text that accompanies museum exhibits: it is an attempt to explain in words what has already been depicted visually with the hope that the objects will be better understood and appreciated. Having background knowledge about an object of art will certainly add to the depth of understanding, but at the same time it places limits on our own interpretation of the objects. Once we find out that the artwork was inspired by the Lobmeyr chandeliers that hang in the Metropolitan Opera House, we may begin to see them only as chandeliers, rather than as star clusters, atomic particles, solar energy bursts or whatever else we may freely perceive. We become enmeshed in facts that tether our imagination. We also become mere recipients of knowledge rather than participants in the artistic process. We are guided to the truths rather than discovering them ourselves. As Saul Carliner pointed out in his essay, Reflections on Museums 3: Different Ways of Learning from Museum, everyone has their preferred method of moving through a museum and experiencing what is presented there. Some people just like to look at the exhibits, others have to read all of the information provided. Perhaps just looking at the objects of An End to Modernity would suffice. If the artist would not find that satisfying, he should perhaps supply a graphical explanation on a wall nearby that would inspire observers to seek further information in the form of a textual explanation. The trap would be set. You could decide to enter it or not.

Rachel+H+R11

I'm not sure what I think about charging people for knowledge, as a future educator, I believe that knowledge is something that is to be shared. The person who passes on their knowledge doesn't lose anything by doing so, so why not share it? I understand the capitalistic approach of the website creators/contributors, they have the information and in return want to be compensated for it, but what about a human approach? Could the advancement of society be worth more?

I have recently gotten into watching the History Channel's Ancient Aliens on youtube and I just keep thinking what if this information was withheld from me? How long would I go on not knowing the possibilities the show presents? I know that I probably wouldn't have paid to watch these videos...well maybe now I would since I've become enthralled in the idea. Maybe if they let you watch a little bit and then hit you with one of those “teasers” I would fork over the money to see the ending, but if the information is truly anything worth charging for wouldn't the holder want everyone to know? I think I would.

I understand that the designers and also the people obtaining the knowledge cannot work for free. Perhaps the privilege to contribute information via discussion posts from users who pay a fee could be enough? Otherwise the idea about bundling certain websites could also be more appealing to an internet consumer if there a “deal” is offered like there is for the museum passes. I'm still not sure were I stand on this..the artist in me feels for the designers but the teacher in me feels for the students (web users) who are eager to learn.

Also another question. How would you keep people from duplicating or spreading the website information to others on the web? Copyright laws?

JordanO_R09

In response to reading number nine, which was more of looking at info graphics than a reading is that there is great need for information to be presented without the use of words. The tricky part is, without words steps can be confusing and misinterpreted without prior background knowledge. It takes a really good design to help someone understand something completely foreign without words. This is no simple task and challenges you as a designer to convey information in the right way. In the case of these examples I will state what I think is not working effectively and how I would improve upon them.

Example 1: Hanging a picture frame

The first thing that I notice when looking at this info graphic is that I could be easily misread. The red dashed line going from left to right makes your eye want to skip from step 1 to step 3 automatically. I see that they are trying to show you that you are using this to line up the top of the frame level on the wall but this connection could be confusing and defiantly could be demonstrated in another way. As far as negative feedback that is all of have for this info graphic. I think that this is a good method for hanging a picture frame and the rest is pretty much self-explanatory.

Example 2: The bike

In this example I am lost all together as to the point of this graphic. Is this the proper position to get the most out of riding you bike? Is it for comfort? Is this for fitting? I am not sure and I think this is definitely and example of the need for prior background information to understand this graphic. I do like how this graphic is laid out. It is a nice piece of design and the relationships all make sense to me. I am just unclear of its purpose.

Example 3: Rolling a cigarette

I think that all of the pieces are here in this info graphic. The steps make sense and the subject is clear. The one thing that I would like to see changed in this graphic is the addition of one step. There is no sense of tucking the paper or pressure that is to be added when rolling the cigarette. I think that the graphic makes this process seem very easy when if fact it is fairly complex. So the addition of a symbol of step that could help define the process in depth more could be a needed addition.

Example 4: Changing a Baby

In this example I see two methods of changing a baby. The old school way and the new school way. I think that almost everyone can get an idea of what is to be done in both cases and the new diapers almost make this idiot proof to begin with. The facial expressions of the baby are a bit distracting though and attention to this detail could help this be more effective. The expression on the baby’s face as it stands is unnecessary chart junk at the moment and leaves the final step seemed unresolved in my opinion.

Example 5: Changing a flat tire

This is the diagram that I have to most problems with. Where is the jack supposed to be placed? Dose everyone have the same type of jack or tools to be used in this case? And is everyone’s spare tire always located in the trunk? I know from experience that these are many variables that are unexplained in this diagram. Someone with no previous experience would have a lot of trouble if only have this diagram as his or her basic knowledge. These are the most basic problems I have with is design. This design is wonderful in graphic nature as well as the rest of these info graphics but lacks information for users without previous knowledge. To resolve this I think that steps need to be added to make this more understandable to anyone changing a flat with no previous experience.

Paul-A-R11

Carliner begins by talking about the various ways that museums charge for admission to their exhibits then switches to how web providers might charge for access to their information. There is already a long history of how to provide access to museums so why not use the lessons learned there as a model for how to provide access to websites. One problem with the premise is that the scale on which these two entities operate is totally different. Even taking into consideration every local museum along with the major ones, they would count in the tens of thousands worldwide. Websites would be more in the millions. As Carliner mentions in the article, admission prices are generally constrained by other museums in the local area. If one museum offers free admission, other museums will find it difficult to charge for admission. One the web the “local area” is the world. Charging admission to a website would only be possible if you offered content that could not be found anywhere else for free. The additional problem is how to keep that information exclusive once you offer access to it to others. On the web it is just too easy to find, duplicate and disseminate information. A physical museum has total control of its content. You may be able to find similar information elsewhere but it would require a trip to another city or another country and even then the admission price might not be free.
Many of the examples that Carliner gives do make sense: if a museum is supported by local taxes, it seems only fair that the taxpayers would receive admission for free or at reduced prices and outsiders should pay more. The daily pass systems he describes seem more of a disservice. Do visitors have to rush through the exhibits so they can visit multiple museums in one day in order to get their money’s worth? It does not sound all that enjoyable to me.

Rachel+H+R10

Museums have different levels of information that visitors can access based on what they want to get out of their visit. One person may walk through a museum and never read a single label but may observe objects and displays intently. On the other hand, another person may meticulously read all the labels and plaques. Both will gain different knowledge, neither is better it just depends on what the viewer is trying to obtain. Also, for an additional fee, often times you can purchase a headset for an audio tour which commonly provides additional information not presented on display labels. Then there is always the option of being a part of one of those guided tour groups that gets herded through the museum. All approaches to experiencing the museum have their pros and cons. Some are cheaper or may take less time but some maybe provide more information. I think in the end it all depends on what the individual wants to get out of their visit. If you are really interested in the content of the museum you will undoubtedly get more out of it because you will process and categorize the information in more depth than someone who perhaps is not as versed or intrigued in the subject.

I myself have only taken one tour with a guide (mostly because of a limited budget and because I always thought the people in those groups were like sheep who have no freedom to explore the museum because they have to say with their chaperon) and although I hated the feeling of being part of our group of 15 or so it turned out to be very beneficial. The tour was of the Vatican Art Museum and our guide proved to be quite knowledgeable and charismatic. It cost 30 euro to have a guide and included admission to the museum, but the best part of the deal was that we didn't have to wait in the long line on an 80 degree day to get in (which was predicted to be 3 hours at the least). Another perk was that the guide showed us the most "important" or prominent pieces in the 53 galleries and also gave extensive background knowledge about the museum itself, information that wasn't provided on any plaque or sign. I think in an instance like the Vatican Museum it was beneficial to spend the extra money because we saved time, gained much more knowledge than if we had explored on our own, and got to interact with more people and discuss pieces with people from around the world.

I think that most people know what kind of learner they are or how they learn the best so they should make their decision of how they view a museum based off of that and based on how much they are willing to spend on different viewing options. Also I think the way you experience the museum also can be decided on your particular interest in or knowledge of the content of the museum.

Hyrom-S-R11

The order of directions and their target is the matter that adhere to the entire museum experience. When this information is unclear a event of enjoyment is destroyed. Every event or place should be able to clarify the viewer in which they are after. Right on.

Hyrom-S-R10

The things in which we are familiar with are the the subjects in which we pay more attention to. We are very constant with these sources so they are ever dominating our interest. When something new is presented to us our minds and will to learn panic in the attempt to try something new. This article proves this emphasis deeply because when you have an experience at a museum you are sure to hold up a mental guard that compete with previous museum experiences. Why? The mind works this way for some reason. I believe the attempt to brake this hold will very hard and stressful.

EmilyW.R11

Saul Carliners Reflections on Museums 2: What Museums Cost Visitors—and Lessons for Information Architects and Information Designers was much more informing than the other blog post. I learned about museum costs and memberships. I didn't really think about that in depth before. It is interesting how I just take museum fees for granted and pay them without questioning, when if I was prompted to pay to enter a website I would be turned off by that and proceed to a free one.

Carliners juxtaposition of museums and websites was very insightful. Being one of those people with income limitations I would be sad if every website had a fee to enter it. As a society I think a lot of people would feel the same way and it would be hard for websites to charge fees. However, slowly I think this will become more and more prevalent. I think it is fair especially because there is a lot of work behind building a website and keeping in maintained and someone who puts that amount of work into something should be able to generate some revenue, but it also sucks for people like me who have to budget every penny. We will look back with longing on the days of free internet when information was available to all. And maybe this again will build an even wider gap between the classes in society. Again people with access to money will be the ones with access to information and education, setting them farther and farther ahead of those who are less fortunate.

Using museums as a comparison for the internet and different websites is a helpful analogy for people that want to create a system of websites that can still be competitive with other free ones but also make some money. As a designer maybe someday I can use this to help me make some money so I can pay to use the websites I create. ha.

EmilyW.R10

The first thing Carliner mentions in his blog is the extensive study that Falk and Dierking conducted. There were no other mentions of this study or any information to back it up in the rest of the blog. He talked about his own experience and his partners but I don't know if this was a sufficient argument to back up the study that he mentions. There are many other factors of why people go to museums than just personal interest. I do agree that personal interest is probably the main reason. However, in his analysis he should have given more examples to back it up.

Some other reasons to visit museums are perhaps you were scheduled to go there for a class, you didn't have enough money to go to a concert one weekend so you decided to go to a museum, you were visiting a foreign country and perhaps your tour guide took you there, you wanted to steal a painting or artifact from the museum. These are just a few other reason's that one might visit a museum.

I do think it is accurate to say that everyone comes out of a museum with different information. Just like everyone comes out of a movie with a slightly different experience or sees different shapes in the clouds. Every person is different, therefore they experience things differently. The point of a museum is not so that every person that walks in sees the same thing and experiences the same thing but that they experience. Experience is the point of a museum otherwise they would not bother. It is to go somewhere to see something and acquire information about it. Everyone gets different information out and that is an obvious phenomenon. A ten year old is going to get something much different out of a museum of anthropology than an anthropology professor.

EmilyW.R09

The first graphic on this little chart of "how to" explanation graphics is, I hate to say it, a failure. Looking at it the first time I had no idea what it was trying to explain. I had to ask someone which I felt dumb about but I guess it's not really my fault is it? It's just a horrible way to explain hanging a picture. First of all, the first image we see, step one, has a red dotted line across the page to the 3rd step and our eye goes straight horizontally following the most distinct visual path to the next graphic not to mention that is the natural way we read so our eyes are already prone to go that way. After you realize that is the wrong order to look at the graphic you see the little arrow pointing down to step two. Then there is a little piece of paper that is thrown in there and little red marks that are used to measure the distance and it's just very confusing. If you look at it long enough you can get what the point is but it's definitely not clear.

The second bicycle graphic is not that hard to understand, however there are some things that could be improved on. We can assume the body should be in a 45 degree angle to the ground when seated on the bicycle and that the knee and the pedal should form a perpendicular line to the ground. The arrow that indicates 1" is confusing because it just points to the empty space between the two lines protruding from the seat and handle bars. It is not very hard to figure out that this means the seat must be an inch above the handle bars but it's not very clearly designed. Also the smaller bicycle graphic in the background has an arrow indicated 2" but it's hard to tell what measurement is the 2" based on what the arrow is pointing at. It just points at a line. Not the distance between the crotch and the bar that it is trying to denote.

The tobacco graphic and the baby diaper graphic seem fine to me. There is one point of confusion on the tobacco step two graphic where it shows the two arrows coming in a circular motion and then also to arrows going in the opposite direction horizontally to the roll. This kind of looks like they want you to rip it in half or something but then if you look at the next picture you can see it's not ripped in half.

The last graphic of the tire change is all kinds of wrong. The arrows are confusing, there are not enough steps to show this complicated process and this is a process that a lot of people do not know how to do, also one that needs to be done correctly otherwise you will have a very bad accident. I can't even begin to go into the details of everything that needs to be changed in this graphic.

Over all, these graphics for the most part can only be understood if you have done the task prior to seeing the instructions. There is just not enough information for someone who has never preformed these actions to be able to go from start to finish and come out with a successful product.

umesh +D+ R10/R11

Reading 10: “Different ways of learning from Museums” it is personal blog and expression of Saul. He generalises what people can study from museums, matter of individual interest in subject, choice of subject and exhibit. For me personally, anything learning starts with curiosity of subject first and obviously there should be interest, without interest. That means pizza without cheese.

Next is sharing information with friends or others person means exchanging and having dialogue on subject matter broadens owns thinking level on subject matter. It’s natural to have more information seeing the museums with different lens. The personal choice of interest defines the subject matter to dig in the information displayed in the museum or any subject matter.

The writer observe different techniques of displaying the subject matter, labelling- written descriptive manner, audio tour, guided tour, uses of multiple languages, computer interfaces- touch screen. Each technique has its advantages and disadvantages of conveying the information. The designer ‘s choice of display is to tell the larger audience its hidden story in presentable format, which should be coherent with whole exhibition.

The writer basically states the shortfalls i.e., the guided tour: fixed timetable conflicted with timetable, the computer touch screens functioning slowly or dead. I don’t think these are big issue. These guided tour and computer screen technique are more interactive method to connect with the audience and give tons of information. So it’s all personal choice of how to learn from Museum. My goal/ intention of visiting Milwaukee Public Museums & Discovery world this week was in conjunction with academic viewpoint, There was goal set-up for the purpose of visiting. This was entirely different experience than visiting with family members. So it is how you view the world in what time frame, condition and purpose, the answer may not be same for all, but i guess all the answers are true.

Hebior Mamoth

Reading 11: “What Museums Cost Visitors—and Lessons for Information Architects and Information Designers “, the blog starts with bunch of information how visitor can get access to museum, its admission fees, discount fee for student, teacher, membership and pass system. I guess this information can be easily accessible from the particular website of museum. Admission fees are generally priced according to the operation cost and expected profit margin of the museum. The permanent exhibit has its own importance for the Museum to market its product, and changing exhibit add more flavour which attract larger section of audience and gives more momentum to understand new subject matter.

The main point of the blog is to take idea from the museum charging for special exhibit, similar can be applied in the case of information architects/ webpage designer in website to charge certain fees to access the information. It’s good to generate revenue and become sustain for hosting website and which can be refuelled with better resources as a whole. It is basically providing the service on exchange of monetary form, so the service should fulfil customer’s expectation what he needs. There are many sites which gives access to general facilities of its sites, but charges for additional services e.g. www.hulu.com, www.linkedin.com. In academic journal, they are only available after paying certain fees and they are successful.