Lecture: What’s Next? Trends and Innovations
Can photography be data visualization? Can interactivity happen without screens? Can the physical spaces where we live and our own selves become data dimensions? Let’s take a look at trends in data visualization, especially beyond two-dimensional paper and screens.
Follow along with the slides here: What’s Next? Trends and Innovations
Video not showing up? Watch on YouTube here.
Next, watch this talk by graphic designer Nicholas Felton, whose work involves experiments with personal data and, more recently, with photography. In it, he discusses his Annual Reports project our relationship to photography as data points. You are required to watch from 13:05 to 24:07, when he discusses photoviz, though I strongly recommend watching the whole presentation to have more context about his work at Facebook and in graphic design.
Webstock '15: Nicholas Felton – PhotoViz from Webstock on Vimeo.
Examples: Visualization in Video
A major application of data visualization beyond the introductory level is making graphics for video. There are various ways to animate visualizations using software or code. One benefit of learning how to make charts in Adobe Illustrator is that you can then animate those charts in Adobe After Effects for video graphics — it’s not a quick skill to learn, but it’s in high demand!
I’m a fan of Vox explainer videos, which often use creative visuals and editing to explain topics that might otherwise be somewhat abstract. These videos use some traditional charts and also use some creative visuals that make use of objects and physical gestures like drawing on a map.
You may remember this topic from way back when we talked about dataviz history:
This one related to the death toll of Covid-19 makes use of creative light and projection:
Vox has several video series that lean heavily on visualization to explain music, technology and current events. I enjoyed this recent one from the “Atlas” series, which is essentially about geography oddities like contested border and, in this case, the smallest country in the world:
Readings
• None! We have many short videos this week instead. But it may be helpful to review previous readings as you work on your project.
Discussion
Look around to find or make your own photoviz or visualization from objects, and then share it. For instance, some possibilities:
- Stack up books, like fiction vs. nonfiction you’ve read recently, or textbooks from different semesters
- Use food or food packaging to show a recipe or consumption
- Add text to annotate a photo of a place or object, like labeling how long you’ve owned the clothes that make up a favorite outfit
- Combine photos taken over time or showing different perspectives
- A split photo showing the before-and-after of something
- Make a tactile visualization with clay, Cheerios, soda can tabs, whatever
- Use chalk or tape to use distance as your scale
You are welcome to edit images with Photoshop or Illustrator, but you are not required to.
Photoviz: Make a photoviz of any type with things in your environment.
- Include the photo/image directly in your post.
- Briefly explain the idea and how you made it happen.
- Including a screenshot of the chart is not required, but it may help explain.
Assignment: Final Project!
The last remaining skills assignment in this course is a final project with a lot of creative freedom. You’ll get to use data visualization skills from throughout the course to share information about a topic of your choosing. This is an opportunity to practice what you’ve learned and apply it to something you are curious or passionate about. You’ll first submit a very rough draft (15 points), and then submit a polished final product (35 points).