2014w



Instructor
TA


M259 Visualizing Information (4 units)



George Legrady
Yoon Chung Han

Lecture/lab: Tues-Thurs 4:00-5:50 Ellings Studio 2611


Course Description

A production course in data query, processing and visualization. The course's focus is the acquisition of visual language skills by which to turn abstract data into visual form. Given the limited time to realize these projects, we are using a specific multivariated dataset of over 80 million transactions for which various visualization modules have been created in previous classes. This will greatly speed up the conceptual and production process.

The data we are using is representative of any datasets. It consists of library transactions of titles of books, DVDs, CDs and other media checked out by the general public since 2005. Every dataset contains the same scalar, numeric, time-based, semantic and other forms of metadata which allow for a multiplicity and complex modes of data correlation and representation. Our goal is to learn how to discover interesting patterns in the data, and how to visualizat it.

We will begin with MySQL data queries, followed by visualization assignments in the java based Processing environment. Following the MySQL exercises there are 3 projects: 1) 2D spatial map, 2) a correlation with an external data source such as the NY TImes or Amazon, or Twiter and 4) completion with a 3D interactive visualization.


Data Source
The top 20 Dewey Categories per hour at the Seatle Public Library (SPL).

This data consists of checked-out items (books, cds, movies, etc.) retrieved by the hour from the Seattle Public Library through an art project "Making Visible the Invisible"

Data Description
SPL Data Explanation | SPL ItemTypes | SPL data DownloadFormats (PDF)

Library Classification System
SPL Library Search | Dewey Classification | Dewey & Library of Congress

Student Resources
Student Forum |Last Year's Course | Previous Student Visualizations

Software

DataBase Management
MySQL (index) | Processing (index)

Sequel Pro (Mac) | HeidiSQL (Windows) | MySQL Workbench (Mac, Windows, Linux)
w3School Tutorial

TOPIC 1
DATA MINING/DISCOVERY & ANALYSIS

[wk 1].......Lecture 01.07
 

Course Overview | Questionnaire


Lab 01.09
 
[Setup] [MySQL_Intro][demo]

[wk 2].......Lecture 01.14

Lab 01.16

The Data Source (pdf) [Agreement]

Karl Yerkes | lab2 | [innerjoin]


[wk 3].......Lecture 01.21

Student Projects


Lab 01.23
Review SQL projects

SQL Queries

SimpleQuery | QueryToText | 2D_Spatial

MAT Seminar 01.27
Sara Fabrikant: Geo Visualization

TOPIC 2
2D SPATIALIZATION MAP

[wk 4].......Lecture 01.28

References

Grid System

Design


Lab 01.30

2D Spatialization Design | Lab

Mosaic Plot | Scatter Plot | TreeMap (Ben Fry) | Teng | Liu | SOM | (Stacy Hespahna) Reza |

Grid System | Grid Visuals | Dornbracht

infoesthetics
| Design References | ColorRef

2DSpatialExamples | Lab


[wk 5].......Lecture 02.04

Examples

Student Projects 02.06

2D Spatial Organization [pdf] | Design Basics [pdf]

Ikeda | open processing| visualizing.org

2D Spatial Map Student Presentation

TOPIC 3
VISUALIZATION & DATA CORRELATION

[wk 6].......Lecture 02.11

Reading


Lab 02.13
Google Correlate [Instructions] | Correlation Note | Correlation Demo | NYTimes_v2

Culture & Data: Digital Design | Million Dollar blocks | vvoice |

Jay Twitter demo |Twitter4J | Twitter | RateLimit | JayPPT_Pdf

[wk 7].......Lecture 02.18

Student Projects 02.20

Data Correlation Concept Proposal

Data Correlation

TOPIC 4
3D INTERACTIVE & FINAL PROJECT

[wk 8].......Lecture 02.25


Readings

Lab 02.27

3D Google Search | 3D Point Visualization | Chiang | Carrasco | Liu | Teng | Han | Bhat | Saeed | Giovanni | RJ Duran | Dark Matter | Tetrahedon |

"Eyes Have it", Shneiderman

Final Project Concept Development


[wk 9].......Lecture 03.04

Readings

Student Projects 03.06

Processing in 3D | Peasycam

TBA

3D Spatia: RJ Duran |Yoon Chung Han | 3D + Time

[wk 10]..................03.11

03.13

Lab & Individual Meetings (Dead Week)

Lab & Individual Meetings (Dead Week)

[wk 11].....Projects 03.18
Final Student Presentations

Technical TextBooks

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


Information Visualization

Mapping & Design
Graphic Design
Online References
Additional Processing Refs
Atlas of Science | The Visual Display of Quantitative Information | Envisioning Information, Edward Tufte
Mapping Graphic Navigational Systems, Fawcett-Tang
DataFlow: Visualizing Information in Graphic Design, Gestalten
Visual Complexity | Infoesthetics | 259 Links Resource
Shiffman | Greenberg [code] | Terzidis [code]

Grading Completion of 3 projects 30%
Final Project 30%
Attendance, Participation and Literature Review 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.