plot me on the scope
The use of data is so widespread that information can be applied to the greatest or to the most minuscule of references. We use data everyday and even if we might not consider it on a regular basis as it occurs, it is definitely there.
Data. Everywhere was one of the best lectures that I saw because it shows the natural relationship between information and application. What does it mean to be surrounded by quantities, characters and symbols and not know how they relate or can be related to us?
Data is an interesting thing because so many things in life can be calculated according to the information contained within collected material and I think what I found most interesting is how the scores of information can be visually reprsented.
Data visualisation can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be and its intention can come across just as well in both perspectives. The visual representation of data lends itself to a wide array of possibilities and the ability to engage and capture an audience provides avenues as a designer to totally wow a client , I mean, blow their mind right out of their expectations.
So can evolved data visualisation be considered as a form of art? It is fair to say that with the advancement of technology, the commonplace pie chart, bar graphs, tables and histograms are good for what they are; simple. That said, simple does not have to be boring and some examples that I have come across online are testament to just that. A modern approach can leave an everlasting impression.
Flickr Time is an application that draws on the Flickr API to present uploaded images from the site and displays it as a clock showing the current time.
This is an interactive representation of the US trade deficit in regards to partnering nations, implemented by Brightpoint Inc. The input data is combined from trade deficits in consecutive months and years. The image allows you to play continuously to see the shift in deficits or you can stop and manipulate the visuals yourself.
Link: US Trade Deficit Data Visualisation - Brightpoint Inc
This is an image off the Oakland Crimespotting webpage. It is a visualisation of crime nature in the Oakland region. The data is plotted via area, time and degree. At the bottom is a timeline with a slider which can plot more crime or decrease according to the level of crime during that month/year. It is also built as a tool for understanding crime in cities. Link: Oakland Crimespotting
Social data is so widely available now-a-days that almost any sort of information can be obtained to create a visualisation which also allows individuals and groups to present atypical images like never before. I must say that much of this stuff reminds me of Jackson Pollock, who would then be one of the greatest data visualisers in history, if that were the case.
I believe that this lecture was a very beneficial insight into what we may be able to produce for the second project in networked media production.
