Starting this class I assumed we were going to learn strictly about those "trendy" info graphics that seem to be appearing more and more in the media. The bright, colorful images or cartoons that are slowly becoming more and more present. I was happy to read this article in part that it re-opened my eyes to information graphics that I have taken for granted, such as maps and timelines. I think it is because maps are the first form of information graphics that humans created and the first that many are exposed to, thus it is often taken for granted when thought of amongst other types such as charts, graphs, timelines, etc.

There are different types of statistical data such as data maps, time-series maps, narrative graphics of space and time. Time-series maps are the most common and its little wonder why, humans are interested in our past and how we got to where we are today. I found it interesting that with the time-series maps they work best with complex, often changing data. It is the flucuation in data that makes a time-series map interesting. When first starting this section of reading I thought of a timeline being a time-series map, but after finishing the section I feel that it would be categorized as a narrative graphic.

The type of maps that I am most interested in are the narrative graphics of space and time. It is perhaps the 3d quality found in some of the drawings, or how realistic you can become in the drawings that I am drawn to.

As the class continues I am looking forward to learning more about info graphics.

AndreaLR01

Reading this article on “Graphical Excellence” was a very new experience for me. I have essentially no background or prior knowledge on the science and art of graph making and honestly, I've never giving the whole process much thought. Learning about the history and advancement of graphs seemed strange to me. In the media culture I've been surrounded by my whole life info-graphics were constant and run-of-the-mill. In newspapers articles are more often than not paired with easy to understand charts and graphs for the reader to reference and make the information easier to grasp. I admit to sometimes only looking at that part of the article because it's quick, and much easier than committing to diving into the entire article. Text books I've had growing up in school always had info-graphics to help explain information, usually at the end of a chapter to quickly and easily sum up the overall concept. Also on the TV news there are always info-graphics aiding explanations. My generation is fast paced and honestly, myself included, has a very low attention span. I've always been surround by quick summaries of information allowing me to move on to the next moment quickly.

Approaching graphs in such a historical way was strange. I've never though about a time where charts and map mapping were new and growing processes. All of these things just seem like assumed processes that come sort of second nature, in a way, because the methods used are so well known. Even the advanced graphs in the reading seemed old, and confusing. It was interesting to see graphs in contrast to just the straight data, as well as newer easier to read graphs to old bar graphs. But, honestly I found the information distant still, perhaps because my knowledge in science is limited.

Maybe it is my lack of background in the whole field but, I felt really strange and detached and confused reading about graphs, their history and the critique of their function. I never thought of graphs and maps as something that is still under critique in the design world. It is not that I don't think this process and information is un-important, I just realized it is something that is often over-looked by the average person. I think the best graphs share information with the viewer without the viewer thinking twice about how the info is reaching them. Completely eliminating any “noise”, to use a new vocabulary word I learned in last class.

I did learn some things about graphs that I haven't thought about before. Graphics reveal data quick and clearly. They organize information allowing viewers to come to conclusions. They can show patterns that text alone could not express. Although, a graph is only as good as the data available. Graphs function the best when there is an very large amount of data to be worked with. Graphs are helpful because they can express a large amount of information in a very small space. Maps can function like graphs, showing patterns and rhythms with applied data.

Sam K R01

This chapter, Graphical Excellence, starts off by stating definitive rules for the creation of infographics. As with any collection of definitive statements, I furrowed my brow and looked for holes in their argument. Truth be told, I’ve never thought this deeply about the creation of infographics, so I’ve pulled up the most recent on by GOOD magazine. “Where in the world do exiled leaders flee?” http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1105/exiled-leaders/flat.html

Now I’ll compare the graphic with these set standards. First off, this does show the data, and it induces me to think about the content. It doesn’t seem to distort the data—they show the whole world map except for the north and south poles, and they even include where stops were made, to give more accuracy. It does present many numbers in a small space and large data set coherent—although, I wouldn’t call all of this information numbers. It’s far more than that—human lives, the art of fleeing, corrupt and overthrown politicians… So much more than numbers. The comparison it encourages is where the blue and orange dots are most gathered—namely, France and Saudi Arabia. There is a note which helpfully tries to explain this trend. It indeed gives much detail—with the full world map featured along with names of politicians, when they were exhiled, where they went, and for some, a bio. The explanation and the integration between verbal and visual data flow well and create an easy to understand infographic.

Excellent job, GOOD magazine!

As for the rest of the chapter, it comes as no surprise that the first true infographics were maps. The human race is obsessed with possession of land, as well as shining light on the mysteries of the world. A map helps with both. Eventually, people started to use maps to mark trends in death, weather patterns, and large groups of moving people.

The use of latitude and longitude leant itself well to creating new types of graphics—Time-Series. They are used to represent changes over time, with the x axis more often than not representing time increments.

It is at this point in time that the chapter marks the emergence of Lambert and Playfair, two leading infographic designers. Playfair argued for the use of graphics over tables, as the graphics can be understood in relation to one-another at a glance. With tables, one must read and compare every listed number. He himself compressed three tables of information into one chart, to make a comparison between time period/ruling family, labor cost and wheat cost. When placed together over then same time period, we are able to compare and realize that it is correct to say that they were paying less than ever for wheat.

Of particular, personal interest are the time-series illustrations, which show the movement of a lizard or a starfish. Although they are much like tables in that they must be carefully compared, the images make it an easier task.

The narrative graphics of space and time (which is how I would refer to the GOOD Magazine infographic) are the most complex, it seems. They can’t help but become a narrative. Through this, they are able to give more information than just a set of numbers ever could.

Without well-made infographics, communication would be extremely difficult.

GordonGR01

Information Design ~ a course that is aptly named. I think that by the end of this month, we will have established that a picture is worth way more than a thousand words… and that a properly conceived chart can literally hold millions of bits of information.

The lesson began before the class ever had a chance to. A hand written note posted on the door read “Class moved to Art Building Room 409”. It was an interesting start to a communications class to say the least. Could have been a test, might have been a quiz… needless to say it was a jump start to my very first class on the UWM campus… Where is the Art Building?

Like any good work out, we had to first stretch before any heavy lifting. Since this was a critical thinking class, our brains were the only muscle in need of calisthenics. The Student Survey form was first – aced it and didn’t confuse my siblings with my pets. The group session and Data Whammy proved to be a brain opener as well. Simple objects, all that I have seen, overlooked and taken for granted took on new relevance as we “rediscovered” their physical qualities and reason for being. Another level of thinking came in to play as we explored their various perceived / intended usages along with alternate usage possibilities. Now take that object and explain it to a Martian. Suddenly all of society’s norms and habits are irrelevant. This challenges all the “quick fixes” and begins to expose the essence of communications. I learned that the more I tried to “simplify” – the more questions and tangents sprang up. The K.I.S.S. theory flew out the window….. or did it? A short film by Charles and Ray Eames underscored today’s initial lesson that good communication principles are timeless. Hang on, I’m dealing with some noise here.

The Reading Day 01 assignment – Graphical Excellence introduced the role of graphics within the context of statistical information sharing. Talk about timeless; the text referenced a map dating back to1546 that utilized statistical graphicacy. Ha! The origin of K.I.S.S.

Each section of the reading began to illustrate the importance of graphics and its role within several areas of statistical graphics execution. Data Maps, Time-Series, Narrative Graphics of Space and Time, and Relational Graphics all historically showcased the key role that design and graphics played in the role of communications. The text stressed the importance of accurate information (garbage in – garbage out) along with keeping the visuals on point. The harmony of the data to be delivered with the proper support of the graphics determined the success of the desired message.

Data Maps share incredible amounts information over a wide variety of topics and usages. It truly is wild to think about how the earliest of maps were created. Their accuracy is a testament to man’s quest to rule his domain. I mean – no satellite pictures or anything.

Time-Series finds its place among the common chart. The naked chart however, would be cumbersome and downright intimidating if not for the inclusion of support graphics. Once again, the incorporation of graphics aid in the downloading of vast information.

Narrative Graphics of Space and Time takes information sharing to another dimension – actually two and three dimension to be exact. I think these are interesting visually and deliver the most impact… an art form in and of themselves.

Relation Graphics take on an almost scientific persona. Here again the huge amounts of information are streamlined with the aid of graphics. The role of the graphics in each area at its best goes almost unnoticed. The information is paramount. The concepts, data and knowledge is what needs to be shared.

And thus begins my journey exploring the art of Communication via Information Design.

Andrew+M+R01

The reading dove into my particular area of interest with is comparison of tabular data and graphical data. The human mind is not meant to visualize large or small qualities, as numbers in general do not have impactful meaning to the human mind. For example, the differences between a million, billion or even trillion are very hard for the mind to conceptualize, we know they are big numbers, but we cannot accurately imagine what a million m&m's must look like. Guessing how much space they take up or guessing how many are in a particular space, like a jar, has been the basis for many games that rely on our inability to conceive of large and small numbers.

This is where design comes in, if I can visually represent one m&m side by side to one thousand m&m’s, that is far more impactful than writing the number 1 next to the number 1,000. With a visual representation of the quantities comes their ability to exist in the physical world where volume, weight and time are real and their effects are part of our lives. A visual representation that draws upon aspects of our life experiences and can be interacted with becomes, real. Suddenly one million m&m’s can now be expressed as a space the size of a washing machine. This method of comparison is much easier to grasp and is frequently used over displaying actual numbers; often we hear phrases such as “as big a football field” because to us as American’s, a football field is culturally iconic and relatable.

Another highlight of the reading was the authors choice to use the phrase “puny data set” when referring to the ability of data to produce an accurate and/or sufficient graphical representation. When working with data sets there is nothing more satisfying then recreating thousands, or hopefully more, points of data into a graphic. As the amount of data polled increases, its resolution at any given interval becomes increasingly more fine; which produces a far better visual presentation. A graph with gracefully smooth curves that can be magnified several times while maintaining that grace, as well as accuracy, gives the designer more options on how they present the data and how the user can interact with it. Also, when comparing a massive spreadsheet that has demographics of the entire population of the U.S. with its millions of rows, to an interactive graph, the graph is much less intimidating. The ability to convert information into an experience that is easier to understand is a rewarding feeling. Even better is to know that the viewer may actually learn something from your work and even get enjoyment from it, this is quite an accomplishment given that the experience produced is based off of line after line of repetitive numbers.

Some of the more unconventional graphical portrayals were by E.J. Marey such as the man in black velvet which shows the fluid movement of a person’s stride through the use of multiple images that are otherwise lost to the human eye. His time-lapse, storyboard like images of the starfish turning itself over also work to freeze time and let the viewer experience a snap shot of time. Representing an action that is very slow or very fast at an unnatural speed is often an eye-opening visual that portrays a world, or time scale, we cannot perceive. Whether using images or data the viewer reaction of “I’ve never thought of it like that” is always a success.

KariHR01

I guess I am confused as to whether we are supposed to write about the reading or what we learned in our first day of class because I heard both of those. Either way, I will discuss both topics.

Today in class I learned all that information can be as we analyzed the objects passed around. It was refreshing to pick apart objects that we may or may not see everyday but for the most part are still educated and familiar with them. It was a beautiful thing to see the objects from a different perspective when we really thought of all of the possible uses for the objects and what from our previous experience, use, and knowledge of the objects helped us to arrive at such propositions. I also really enjoyed thinking about how the objects are similar and different from other objects that have the same purpose as them. The map that we looked at in class really pertained to the reading and what we learned about data and how to present and organize it. The different maps of the United States showed where certain cancers of men and women were and in which counties the majority of people were. The way that this data was presented was by maps, keys, colors, value, as well as a subtitle of information next to each map explaining what cancer, who, and the time of the survey. The second group of maps showed direction and intensity of trade winds and monsoons of the world in 1686. That map used two pieces of information in one map as well as the one after that shows the deaths in central London in 1854 in which people had died from cholera and correlated the information with the possible source (the Broad Street water pump). The comparison and objective of the mapping was to figure out if the deaths were caused by those who lived near and drank from the water pump.

Most geographical maps are logged and marked in standard and similar processes. Whether it is a graph, map, or timeline, there are always similarities in order to make the maps legible, easy to understand, and useful. Uses such as map keys with color or markings, measurement keys, symbols, size, asterisks with side notes and many other things make up successful maps.

Hyrom-S-R01

I’m really grateful for this context because I found numerous factors that I shall benefit from when it comes to design. It’s like these factors have always been here, I just couldn’t understand them fully nor paid much attention to them, yet I do them. Wow, how important are these factors such as: line direction, color, organization, boldface, numerology, etc. This list can continue for a long period due to the fact that it’s the small things that we as designers don’t pay much attention to that help us reach our goals when it comes to design. Without these fundamentals we wouldn’t be able to design a darn thing. I’m sitting here thinking, how important is organization? Organization is important in numerous parts of life, but in this content, I’m going to be emphasizing organization when it comes to design. First off, organization in my definition is the convenient placing of ordered elements into correct composition to bring about a complete presentation. In order to achieve this act of ordering, different approaches can be brought about for an excellent benefit. For example, color. Color is an excellent source in the procedure of ordering because its element s of saturation, if included properly, can prevent jumbling, blurry appearances, and cluttering. A perfect display of this technique can be observed in two maps from the article I’ve just read. These maps are the U.S Army map of Simla, India, which is a map without color, therefore confusing the observer with its cluttered and incoherent appearance and a map of Tokyo Prefecture, which has color, producing a clear presentation of the area. Here color played the important role of bringing about a clear goal of close observation. Without color, such as the map of India, one gets confused because it’s hard to tell the difference of one object in line drawing from another. The picture can pass as scribble scrabble if viewed by a child. The importance of color inclusion is just one of many applicable approaches that can be used to make clear organization. Now, what does organization have to do with design? Design within itself is organization already. This is so because you cannot design without proper order of the important features in a design to bring out a concept. Every design has a concept derived from the thought process of order because a designer has to be aware of his/her goal of production and the steps that precedes the approval of a perfect project. Form have to follow function not just physically, but mental as well. Where do I go from here? First off, I have to catch up with my close practicing of key elements of organization. I believe with me doing so that I can bring about even more excellent floor plans and elevations that would make my concept of architectural design even stronger. I also learned that strong organization is a continuous process that pauses with the completion of projects which benefits from proper procedure. I have a lot to learn and I prefer to do so through practice, hands on.