Data Gathering and Display Remix Infographics, Data Visualisation, Information Design
Why do we visualise?
- it can show us information which otherwise we could miss
- our eyes are tuned to see patterns in the environment
- you can easily recognise trends, gaps and outlines
Modern life is saturated with complex information and data. For information to have impact, it must be easy to find, simple to use, and instantly understandable. In short, information needs to be designed!
Some examples of information design in use:
- Navigating from 'You are here' display panels (wayfinding)
- Getting around on the transport system (maps and information)
- Taking medicines in the correct dosage and time of day (healthcare information)
- Choosing a pension, mortgage or investment product (financial information)
- Understanding utility bills, bank and card statements (clear language and typography)
- Moving through an exhibition or public space (signage and design)
- Checking the weather, election and sports results (charts and data graphics).
Other examples of data visualisation:
David McCandless
He's a London-based author of best-selling infographic classic Information is Beautiful, data-journalist and information designer working across print, advertising, TV and web. Created around 540 over 6 years and sometimes have data visualisation dreams.
Visual Complexity
Functional VISUALISATIONS are more than innovative statistical analyses and computational algorithms. They must make sense to the user and require a visual language system that uses colour, shape, line, hierarchy and composition to communicate clearly and appropriately, much like the alphabetic and character-based languages used worldwide between humans. Matt Woolman, Digital Information Graphics
VisualComplexity.com intends to be a unified resource space for anyone interested in the visualisation of complex networks. The project's main goal is to leverage a critical understanding of different visualisation methods, across a series of disciplines, as diverse as Biology, Social Networks or the World Wide Web. I truly hope this space can inspire, motivate and enlighten any person doing research on this field.
Open Processing
Open Processing is an online community platform which allows you to share your sketches created in Processing. To do so you have to create an account which would mean that your sketches shared on this site will be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution. Open Processing is a host of many Processing classes and workshop from around the world and you can access them on the site. Also, you can find there a list of recommended books that teach Processing skills at any level.
Processing
Processing is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation and interactions. It is an open project initiated by Ben Fry and Casey Reas.
My personal experimentations with Processing
Data Visualisation:
To follow all the steps from the beginning of this exercise I had to come up with a personal data set quickly. I decided to present something related to my work shifts, as my work timetable from last 10 months was one of not many 'solid' datas which I had on me at that time.
Problem with overlapping circles, had to change their opacity in order to find the missing ellipses.
I was trying to present a comparison of the days of the week when I actually worked during this last 10 months. But order of the week days got confused and on some days I've been working much more than the others so it still didn't look clear enough.
I've changed it to amounts of shifts according to the months. It makes much more sense after presented in chronological order.
Few final changes to the design itself. Different colour background and placement of the type.
I was really surprised to learn how to program on one of the first workshops. But I was even more surprised to learn that it doesn't have to be that difficult. Few commands and a correct mindset and you can create amazing things in Processing.