cs5984: Information Visualization Chris North GTA: Purvi Saraiya Infovis meister: Nathan

What is Information Visualization? The use of computer-supported, interactive, visual representations of abstract data to amplify cognition

The Big Problem Data Human How? Data Transfer Web,books, papers, game scores, Scientific data, Biotech, Shopping People Stock/finance News Vision: 100 MB/s Ears: <100 b/s Telepathy Haptic/tactile Smell taste

Human Vision Highest bandwidth sense Fast, parallel Pattern recognition Pre-attentive Extends memory and cognitive capacity (Multiplication test) People think visually Impressive. Lets use it!

Which state has highest Income? Relationship between Income and Education? Outliers?

Per Capita Income College Degree %

What if you could only see 1 state’s data at a time? (e.g. Census Bureau’s website) What if I read the data to you?

Find the green square?

History: Static Graphics

Interactive Graphics Homefinder

More than just “data transfer” Support the ability to glean higher level knowledge from the data Learn = data  knowledge Insight!

What’s the Big Deal?

Presentation is everything!

Optimization: My Philosophy Visualization = the best of both Impressive computation + impressive cognition Computer Serial Symbolic Static Deterministic Exact Binary, 0/1 Computation Programmed Follow instructions Amoral Human Parallel Visual Dynamic Non-deterministic Fuzzy Gestalt, whole, patterns Understanding Free will Creative Moral

You will learn how to: Design visual, interactive representations Critique existing designs Development visualization software Empirically evaluate designs An HCI focus A visualization = a user interface for data *

Related Courses Scientific Visualization (ESM4714) Computer Graphics (4204, 6xxx) Usability Engineering (5714) Research Methods! (5014) Model & Theories of HCI (5724) User Interface Software (5984) Info Storage & Retrieval (5604) Databases (5614)

Course Mechanics Grading: 10% Paper presentation & discussion 30% Homeworks 60% Project Format: Research class Read research papers Discussion Contribute to research, Project! dude.cs.vt.edu

Research Class Creativity No “right” answer Reasoning/argument is more important Self motivation Open ended Contribute to the state-of-the-art Jump start for thesis research

Research = Learning the state-of-the-art + Creativity (Design) + Science (Measurement,Modeling) + Dissemination = project

HW #1 Due sept 6, thurs Find some data 104c mcbryde Spotfire, tablelens(eureka), parallel coordinates (xmdvtool), star coordinates (stardeck). Pick 2 What you learned about the data? 1 pg Comparison of the 2 tools. 1pg Purvi will give demo on Friday, and hours

project Build a new visualization Evaluation Groups 2-4 Choose topic Literature review Build it! Write a paper about it Give a presentation.