2011f


Instructor




Transforming Data: Cultural Strategies in DataMining
NMDS 551 (CRN 6886)

George Legrady

Meetings in room I-405 on Mondays from 3-5:40 pm


Course Description

Data visualization consists of the visual representation of abstract data. In this course Students explore conceptual, cultural and other issues specific to data visualization. Through presentations, Texts, and discussions, the class introduces concepts and methods of a) data mining, b) data analysis and aggregation, and c) information design and visualization. In addition to giving an overview of data visualization, the course includes a practical component in which students are introduced to modules for datamining to explore a data set of over 55 million entries culled from the transactions at a major American library. Each library transaction contains scalar, numeric, time-based, semantic and other forms of metadata which allow for a multiplicity and complex modes of data correlation and representation.

This data is representative of titles of books, DVDs, CDs and other media checked out by the general public since 2005 and has been collected with the intent to study changes in the circulation as libraries are transforming themselves due to the increasing influence of the Internet as a as information source.

Koolhaas' Seattle Library

OMA/LMN Concept Book | PrinceRamus on TED | SPL Architecture



The SPL Data
The SPL data consists of checked-out items (books, cds, movies, etc.) received by the hour through the art project "Making Visible the Invisible" [Project Overview PDF]. The data is in XML format and located at: XML Format Data (password access required)

Examples of code and visualization examples use MySQL and Processing. The complete set can be reviewed at MAT 259 Visualizing Information

TOPIC 1
DATA MINING

[wk 1].......8.29 Course overview, datavisualization, introductions, [forum click here]

 

Text
Beautiful Visualization, chapter 1, 2

[wk 2].......9.12 Data Visualization Examples

 
Lab/Research Minard | NYTimes [recession][jobrate][DNA][MichaelJackson][fun] | Feltron | Wattenberg | catalogTree |

Text
Visualization Criticism, Kosara | "Eyes Have It" Schneiderman | Ch1: Seven Stages...., Fry

[wk 3].......9.19 What is Database/data Mining? GoogleNGram | GoogleCorrelate | Yerkes [url]

 
Lab/Research Introduction to MySQL basics: Manual | Tutorial | Index, Forta [GoogleBooks] | Sequel Pro

Text
500 Billion Words

[wk 4].......9.26 Introduction to the Seattle library Data

Lab/Research
Dewey Classification | ItemTypes (Definitions) | SPL New Titles | SPL Histogram

Text
Thinking Deeper Kosara

TOPIC 2 DATA MAPPING in 1D, 2D, 3D

[wk 5]......10.03 Linear Frequency Visualization

Lab/Research Info Aesthetics | Visual Complexity | Fisher | GLevin | BabyNames | US Contracts (Catalog Tree) | Spatial Information Design | Stamen | Manovich

Text
Cultural Analytics (Manovich)

[wk 6]......10.10 Visual Basics

Lab/Research Kohonen Self-organizing Map | Godwin [sort] | JJGuy SOM | Market NYTimes | TextArc | Reza Ali | Fry-Isometrics | UliSchmidt | DarkMatter | 3D Slice | Google Trends

[wk 7]......10.17
Angus Forbes Lecture

TOPIC 3 DATA STUDY, AGGREGATION & SKETCHES | SPL Visualizations

[wk 8]......10.24 NSF Workshop | Atlas of Science [amazon] | bible | Classification | Mapping Science | Research | Selley | Mapping & Correlation: 10f Geneva Workshop | Joshua | Qian | Domagoy

Code Reference
testmysql.pde | MySQLQueries zip

[wk 9]......10.31 Treemap | SmartMoney | Newsmap | Ben Fry Treemap | Treemap Class |
From 2010W projects: Sbaht | YTeng |


Code Reference Treemap Demos | BenFry Treemap Library
3DDemos2010.zip | AnimationAnd3D.zip

TOPIC 4 COURSE PROJECT

[wk 10]......11.07 Class Research Proposal Presentation

[wk 11]......11.14 Begin Final project | Individual Meetings | Schedule

[wk 12]......11.21 Final project / Work-in-progress presentation | discussion

[wk 13]......11.28 NYPL Presentation | Final project / research

[wk 14]......12.05 Final project / production - individual meetings

[wk 15]......12.12
Student presentations

Technical TextBooks

Graphics of Large Datasets, Unwin, Theus, Hofmann (Statistics & Computing)
Visualizing Data, [Examples] Ben Fry (Online text by the co-author of Processing)


Information Visualization
Mapping & Design
Graphic Design
Literary Analysis
Online References
Additional Processing Refs
The Visual Display of Quantitative Information | Envisioning Information, Edward Tufte
Mapping Graphic Navigational Systems, Fawcett-Tang
DataFlow: Visualizing Information in Graphic Design, Gestalten
Graphs, Maps, Trees, Franco Moretti
Visual Complexity | Infoesthetics | 259 Links Resource
Shiffman | Greenberg [Code Reference] | Terzidis [Code Reference]

Grading

Attendance, Participation and Satisfactory completion of
weekly reports and assignments 60%
Data Visualization Research/Project 40%

The course is designed to accommodate both beginning and advanced students. All students will be expected to perform at the level of their expertise but programming experience is desirable.