Information Visualization

1. Information Visualization Trajectories, Traces and Tools for Augmenting Human Intelligence Dr. Ray UzwyshynUniversity of Miami Digital Libraries Egyptian Amanuensis: ThothScribe Weblog

2. Information Visualization and the Scientific Method Sumerian Catalog (2000 B.C.) Technology: Baked Clay Tablet, Hammer Problem Solved : Limitation of Human Memory Innovation: Visually Iconic Script New Problem: Information Retrieval, Medium storage – The Bricks are heavy

3. New Technology, Medium Possibility, Historical Dialectic Technology: Papyrus, rolled into scrolls, placed in Libraries, lightweightInnovation: reduced character set - Alphabet Kata + Logos (list of words) Technology: Augments Human Intelligence Solves Problem of Previous Technology, Generates New Problem horizon MetadataList of Scrolls Kuhn’s Paradigm Shift: Isn’t the clay tablet enough? Problem of previous infrastructures (skillsets, experts)

4. 1st Information Renaissance • Gutenberg (Mechanical Reproduction, Moveable Type, 1452)Technology: Printed Book Solves Problem: Dissemination (Copies, Copyists)Information explosion creates new knowledge, infrastructures, new problem sets: retrieval, organizing relationships between bodies of Information Augmenting Human Intelligence

5. Flashforward, 1876-1985 Information Design Systemization • System Wide Classification of expanding Universe of Knowledge Melvil Dewey: Dewey Decimal Classification System (1876)Origin of Species (Darwin, 1860)Age of hierarchical tree Taxonomies, systems • Library of Congress Printed Cards (1901)Metadata Containers become LargeProblem: Unseen/Fluid Interdisciplinary Relationships among Larger Bibliographic Universe is Lost

6. 1960 - 1980’s Automating 19th Century Innovation • Microfiche: Card Catalogue on Microfiche, then CD-ROM. • Innovation: Reduction Entire Printed card catalog (cabinets) to a small machine space New Problem Set - Lost Larger Context, Non-linear searching • Remapping 19th Century Innovation onto 21st Century Technology

7. 1990’s - Present Academic OPAC Catalog & Google: Current Large Scale Information Retrieval Models Lost Context of Larger Information Universe Partially solves Linear A- Z analog Search either scanning microfiche or cards, infinite copiesProblem Creates Infinite Scrolling List Syndrome. Not Scalable, How Do Entities Relate

8. Where do we go from here?Information Visualization offers possibilities GUI : Working on the level of Iconic abstraction: metaphor, narrative, icons used as cognitive tools or pointers Command Line InterfaceInfinite Scrolling List ParadigmLiteral Semantic Relationships Visually Semiotic Relationships

9. Possibilities of Screenspace • Icon harnessed as Cognitive Tool or Visual Metaphor. (Computer/Information Science getting handle on this)Framing or Environmental Metaphors (Desktop or Interface Level Metaphor – not as well established discourse or thought out implementations) Xerox Parc’s Web Forager, 3D Office,Information Workspace( circa. 1995)

10. Context and Future of Information Visualization 21th C. Culture Visual Culture Principal Cultural Codes Visuals Grammars and Codes that we understand from early age(Transparent, Ubiquitous) Television Cinema Predicated on movement, intuitive narrative, metaphor, humanly understandable, well developed and ‘constructed sets of visuals grammars

11. Paradigm Shift of Framing Metaphors (Cognitive Ecologies) Non-linear motive codes of cinema/tv can also create interactive robust information universes. Move from Browser Page Metaphor to Stage or Screen Metaphor. Information landscapes for navigating bodies of knowledge to augment intelligence, see larger relationships and create new knowledge. Navigating Information Universe by Fly – Through (Iconic remnnant) Navigating “Information “Universe” by scrolling (remnant)

12. The Next Cognitive Toys or Philosophical Toolsets for Information Science Motion, Narratology, Interactivity Harnessed as Information Visualization Tools, for large bodies of Information (data) 1st Phase Study of Visual Grammars, Visual Narrative Codes, Art History, Bertin (Geography) Tufte (Mathematical Statistics)Overlooked bodies of theoretical literature, Cinema Studies: Structural/Formalist studies of Codes of Movement in Time. Visual Semiotics, (Eisentstein, Bazin, Christian Metz – Structural Visual Grammar)

13. Information Visualization: Larger Purposes Visually Augment Human Intelligence to Facilitate New Knowledge Generation Middleware Infinite StoragePotential,Memory Information Visualization(HCI) Backend RelationalDatabase Front EndInterface Human User Global NetworkedPotential of Internet • Interactivity + Robust Backend Database Information + Online Connectivity + Theoretically thought out and Visually Iconic Motive Interfaces

14. Visual Cognitive Cartographies • ASIST SIG VIS Websitehttp://www.asis.org/SIG/SIGVIS Keywords subject headings mapped to motive interactive 3d Space

15. Previously Unseen Subject Relationships in Same Visual Space 3D Typographic Fly Through or 3D Cognitive Map. Future: The trick is to begin thinking about mapping taxonomies visually (i.e. navigating the entire set of LCSH or an entire Robust Academic Library Catalog)

16. Visualization and Multimedia Physical/Cognitive Cartographies http://balseros.miami.edu Multimedia Digital Library - Zoomable Interface (1800 Mg Map) – Front EndDigital Video, Document and Image Library - Database Back end.

17. New Visual Interface Possibilities Zoomable Fly-Through Intuitive Navigation Context Preserved (Upper Left)/ Humanly Intuitive Map Link to Image and Video Library Databases

18. Emergent Possibilities • 3D Online networked Game Engine paradigm mapped to robust information seeking (academic/e-commerce) possibilities (Information Foraging, hunter/gatherer metaphor for seeking information in large systems)Possibilities are rich.Visual grammars and codes largely unexplored

19. Where has Innovation Been Historically Accomplished? Left Brain School of Info. Visualization Math/computer/information science Ph.D’s Military Technology InnovatorsMedical Researchers (Gene Sequencing)GIS/Spatial Engineers‘Serious’ Purposes: Information Mapping, Organizing Large bodies of information visually, relationally, dynamically. Historically high cost of entry (Computer Power, Warnock & Sutherland in Utah)

20. Right Brain School of Information Visualization(The Low End or Historically Recent Barbarians at the Gates) Web Designers (Flash Group, Online Vector Animation tied with Robust Programming Backend) Online Game Designers Graphic Designers (Advertising Catalogs/Database Synthesis)Innovative Usual Suspects (Parc, Maryland, MIT Media Lab) (Renegade creators interested in Cognitive Cartography, Information Mapping, Information Architecture coming to this intuitively and out of necessity not aware of historical legacy but immersed in techno zeitgeist: games, comics, cinema codes, cool factor) Lens, Telescope, Microscope, Screen

21. Information VisualizationDigital Renaissance Horizons Largely Unexplored • Where is the new innovation to occur regarding Information Visualization or new solutions surrounding Visualizing large amounts of information? • Transgressing/Bridging Boundaries/ Borders, marrying high and low, right and leftInfo. Science Paradigms + Game EnginesSerious Purpose + Entertainment Innovation Visual Creativity + Mathematics Need for Synthetic Renaissance Ideology (Discussion, Implementation/Praxis)

22. The real voyage of discovery consists of not in seeking new technological landscapes but in learning to see with new eyes. ProustRemembrance of Things Past

23. Brief Information Visualization Bibliography - Books Chen, Chaomei. Information Visualization and Virtual Environments. New York: Springer, 1999. (also, other texts ) Shneiderman, Ben. Card, Stuart K., Mackinlay, Jock D. Readings in Information Visualization. San Francisco: Moran Kaufmann, 1999. (also, other texts) Spence, Robert. Information Visualization. ACM Press, 2000.

24. Websites – Links to Working Applications and Current R&D • Human Computer Interaction Laboratory (Shneiderman et al., College Park Maryland)http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/ (click Visualization)Flashforward http://www.flashforward2003.com (Click on past winners for excellent examples)MIT Media Lab, In particular John Maeda’s Aesthetics and Computation/Visual Language Groups) http://acg.media.mit.edu/ and http://plw.media.mit.eduXerox Parc Research Group http://www.parc.xerox.com/research

25. A Few R&D Developers • Jared Tarbell http://levitated.netEric Natzke http://www.natzke.comYugo Nakamura http://www.yugop.comJoshua Davis http://www.joshuadavis.com • Finally, my more informal weblog: horizons of visualization/digital library explorations: http://libprod.library.miami.edu:41430/webservices

26. Presentation Available Online • http://www.library.miami.edu/infoVisualization.ppt • Handout available at front • Thank You For Coming!Contact Info: Dr. Ray Uzwyshyn, ruzwyshyn@miami.eduUniversity of Miami Digital Library Initiativeshttp://members.aol.com/rayuwish(786)281-2824.