A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE AN EXHIBITION OF EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN - add table of contents!!
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE AN EXHIBITION OF EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
AARON BROWN
AN M.F.A THESIS PROJECT GRAPHIC DESIGN SCAD-ATLANTA 2014
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My respect and heartfelt appreciation go to: President Wallace and the Institution of SCAD The Graphic Design and Printmaking Departments My supportive and insightful thesis committee: Henry Kim Chung Yoo Barry Roseman Holly Quarzo Elizabeth Mandel All of the innovative designers, past and present, who continually push the boundaries of information design And, finally, my mother, for being an artist
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1
007
Exhibit Overview SECTION 2
013
Floor Plan SECTION 3
019
System Architecture SECTION 4
025
Study Model SECTION 5
041
The Exhibits SECTION 6
123
Experiential Analysis
APPENDIX A
141
Inspiration APPENDIX B
149
Process
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SECTION 001
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
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TH OF ZA IS I NO 8
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
SOURCE
HE PURPOSE F VISUALIATION INSIGHT, OT PICTURES. —BEN SCHNEIDERMAN
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DESCRIPTION
The exhibit "A View From Somewhere" leverages the practices of graphic design, information design, and exhibit design in order to create a compelling, meaningful, and highly communicative experience for visitors. The following set of characteristics are what makes this project unique.
THIS EXHIBIT
Represents a protoypical example of Experiential Information Design Is a manifestation of my MFA thesis which brings to life the content therein through a mixture of graphic design, information design, and exhibit design. Leads visitors on a journey of exploration that ranges from the introduction of traditional information design to the elaboration of experiential information design. Along the way visitors learn why information design that combines the impersonal, objective presentations of data with personal, subjective presentations of data produces richer, more relatable, and more effective information visualizations. Is a responsive environment which adapts to its visitors by sensing a variety of biometric and spatial data. It then uses this data to present each visitor a unique experiene. Is designed to allow only one visitor at a time.
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EX01
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
NUMBER
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
SECTION 001
SUBJECT
EX02
EXHIBIT GOALS
NUMBER
EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
SECTION 001
SUBJECT
DESCRIPTION
A View From Somewhere is an experimental exhibit that is designed according to the principles of Experiential Information Design. By leveraging these principles it attempts to achieve the following goals.
CREATES AN EXPERIENCE IN WHICH
A visitor learns about and experiences Experiential Information Design. A visitor is an active participant in a data-driven narrative, rather than a passive consumer of a static narrative. A visitor sequentially experiences data from three different view points: 3rd person, 1st person, and 2nd person. A visitor understands data both objectively and subjectively, that is, from a 3rd person objective perspective and a 1st person subjective perspective. These two different perspectives respectively correspond to notions of time/space and temporality/spatiality. A visitor is engaged on four levels simultaneously: the sensual, the physical, the intellectual, and the affective/emotional.
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SECTION 002
FLOOR PLAN
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A T R O T 14
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SOURCE
ARCHITECTURE IS THE REACHING OUT FOR THE TRUTH. —LOUIS KAHN
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SECTION 002
FLOOR PLAN
E01
NUMBER
FLOOR PLAN
SUBJECT
DESCRIPTION
The spatial architecture of A View From Somewhere is based on the straight line, which represents the passage of time, and the circle, which represents bounded space. As a visitor moves through the exhibit, they trace out a circle, ending where they began; this symbolizes the visitor developing a critical perspective on their own experience.
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FLOOR 2 SPATIALITY TEMPORALITY
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SOCIALITY
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FLOOR 1 INTRODUCTION EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
2 1
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
SECTION 003
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
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THE MAC THE MUS CREATED I DON’T K RESPONS THAT SIT
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SOURCE
CHINE MAKES SIC, BUT I D THE MACHINE. KNOW WHERE SIBILITY LIES IN TUATION. —SEAN BOOTH (AUTECHRE)
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SA01
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
NUMBER
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
SECTION 003
SUBJECT
DESCRIPTION
One of the unique characteristics of a View From Somewhere is its ability to incorporate data from its visitors into its exhibits, thereby offering a custom-tailored experience to each person. This diagram shows how each exhibit flows into the next and its specific inputs and outputs. The table on the right details the various types of measurments used in the exhibitst.
EXHIBIT E01 INTRODUCTION INPUTS
OUTPUTS
Thesis Content
N/A
EXHIBIT E02
EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
INPUTS
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
Thesis Content
An Introduction to Experiential Information Design
OUTPUTS
BPM GSR Time in Exhibit Time / Sub-exhibit Phenom-Index Spatial Path
An M.F.A. Thesis
EXHIBIT E03 SPATIALITY INPUTS
Thesis Content BPM GSR
POINT OF INTEREST
PHENOMENOLOGICAL INDEX
DESCRIPTION The Phenomenological Index (Phenom-Index) is a proprietary measurement developed for this exhibit. It distills a visitor’s overall subjective experience to a single decimal measurement. It factors in a visitors interest based on the time he or she spends looking at exhibit materials. It also incorporates the visitor's affective state via his or her heartbeat and skin conductivity (Galvanic Skin Response).
SECTION 003 SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
DERIVATION
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PI_N: patron’s unique phenomenological index a: coefficient which weights a patron's heartbeat b: coefficient which weights a patron's skin conductivity PI_N = f( BPM, GSR, T1, T21..12 ) = ( a * BPM ) + ( b * GSR ) + T1 + ∑1..12( T2 ) PI is PI_N normalized against the range of all other PIs PI = (PI_N - PI_min) / (PI_max - PI_min)
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
Time in Exhibit Time / Sub-exhibit Phenom-Index
SECTION 003
SUBJECT
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
DYNAMIC SYSTEM PARAMETERS
NAME
UNITS
WHAT IT MEASURES
APPROACH
MEASURED BY
Heartbeats Per Minute (BPM)
Beats/Min
Arousal
Affective
Wrist Sensor
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR)
Siemans/Min
Arousal
Affective
Wrist Sensor
Time In Exhibit
Minutes
Interest
Cognitive
Microsoft Kinect
Time Per Sub-Exhibit
Minutes
Interest
Cognitive
Proximity Sensor
Phenomenological Index
Percentage
Experience
Unitary
Calculated
Spatial Path
X,Y Coords
Movement
Spatial
Microsoft Kinect
OUTPUTS
BPM GSR Time / Sub-exhibit Phenom-Index Spatial Path
EXHIBIT E04 TEMPORALITY INPUTS
OUTPUTS
BPM
Time in Exhibit
GSR
Phenom-Index
Time / Sub-exhibit
Spatial Path
Phenom-Index EXHIBIT E05 SOCIALITY INPUTS
Time in Exhibit
OUTPUTS
N/A
Phenom-Index Spatial Path
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SECTION 004
STUDY MODEL
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WHAT YOU TO DO IS T THE VIEW RELATION ING AND LOOKING
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SOURCE
U REALLY WANT TRY TO ENGAGE WER'S BODY N TO HIS THINKWALKING AND G. —RICHARD SERRA
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An architectural study model of the A View From Somewhere exhibit space. This model showcases the overall spatial construction of the building as well as the basic forms of the individual exhibits. Note the recurring theme of straight lines, circles, and 30째 angles that suffuse the layout and echo the exhibit logo.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
N/A 001
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
STUDY MODEL
STAGE
SECTION 005
STUDY MODEL
SUBJECT
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POINT OF INTEREST Architectural Structure
SECTION 005 STUDY MODEL
DESCRIPTION
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The layout of A View From Somewhere's architecture is derived from a schematic, triangular representation of an eye, which signifies a point of view. Three such schematics are rotated around a center point to create a set of interlocking equalaterial triangles, which form the basis of the building. These three "viewpoints" evoke 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person points of view.
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SECTION 005
THE EXHIBITS
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EVENTUAL CONNECTS OBJECTS . T THE CONN KEY TO QU
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SOURCE
LLY EVERYTHING S: PEOPLE, IDEAS, THE QUALITY OF NECTIONS IS THE UALITY PER SE. —CHARLES EAMES
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE STAGE 001
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVE / COGNITIVE
E01
AN EXHIBITION OF EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN E02
STAGE 002
SPATIALITY
SUBJECTIVE / AFFECTIVE
E03
TEMPORALITY
E04
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STAGE 003
SOCIALITY
UNIFIED / CRITICAL
E05
INTRODUCTION EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
FLOOR 001
FLOOR 002
SPATIALITY TEMPORALITY SOCIALITY
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A View From Somewhere's first exhibit uses traditional information and exhibit design to introduce visitors to three important topics. Visitors learn about Information Design, Objectivity, and Phenomenology through editorial content and imagery. Each of these topics provide theoretical foundations for Experiential Information Design.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
001 E01
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
INTRODUCTION
STAGE
SECTION 006
THE EXHIBITS
SUBJECT
GOAL
INPUT
Exhibit visitors gain insight into three fields of study that provide important theoretical and practical foundations for Experiential Information Design.
Thesis Content
Vistors are introduced to concept of Experiential Information Design, and the way in which the data for this type of design is thought of in terms of the objective (time/space) and subjective (temporality/spatiality).
OUTPUT
N/A
APPROACH
OBJECTIVE / COGNITIVE
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POINT OF INTEREST
INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
EXHIBIT E01 INTRODUCTION
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION A View From Somewhere's initial exhibit uses conventional exhibit design to educate visitor's on the three main disciplines underlying the idea of experiential information design. This information provides the context necessary for the rest of the visitor's experience to make sense.
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THE HISTORY OF INFORMATION DESIGN EDWARD TUFTE best characterizes information design as lorem ellentesque nec sem nisi. Pell em entesque sed ultrices nunc. Pellentesque nece ementum leo. Nulla at eleifend dolor, nec ornare ni. Praesent in erat ullamcorper, semper tellus ut, mollis nisl. Sed vitae dapibus dui. Quisque vestibulum dolor turpis, eget lobortis urna auctor vel. Aliquam dignis sim sit amet risus eget accumsan.
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EXPLORE
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01 INFORMATION VIZUAL
Information Visualization, at is most basic, is the com abstract data through a visual representation of that d
Sometimes, information visualizations are dynamic in nature. Such visualizations represent data interactively in multi-dimensional, navigable form, thus making them a particularly effective tool for handling large data sets and modeling different views and perceptions of the phenomena studied. Information visualizations typically use computer graphics and interactive interfaces to assist humans in solving problems with unfamiliar data sets.
02 OBJEC
Objectivity gen outside of a sub imaginings.
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LIZATION
mmunication of data.
POINT OF INTEREST Traditional Exhibit Design
EXHIBIT E01 INTRODUCTION
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION The exhibits found within the introductory hallway will be familiar to most visitors. Information in conveyed clearly and intuitively through the use of text and image. Each of the sub-exhibits feature interactive buttons which allow visitors to discover detailed information about the three principle subjects.
CTIVITY
THE ORIGINS OF OBJECTIVITY
nerally refers to the state or quality of being true even bject's individual biases, interpretations, feelings, and
During the 17th century, proponents of the scientific method argued that rational minds stood over and against an external and manipulable material reality. The idea that the mind was radically other than the body gave rise to the idea of “objectivity”, a third-person “view from nowhere” free from the idiosyncrasies, prejudices, and desires associated with individuals.
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RENE DESCARTES AND ISAAC NEWTON are names typically pellentesque nec sem nisi. Pellentesque sed ultrices nunc. Pellentesque nec elementum leo. Nulla at eleifend dolor, nec ornare nisl. Praesent in erat ullamcorper, semper tellus ut, mollis nisl. Sed vitae dapibus dui. Quisque vestibulum dolor turpis, eget lobortis urna auctor vel. Aliquam dignissim sit amet risus eget accumsan.
EXPLORE
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This realm of objectivity was most accurately captured in the language of number which, when taken in the aggregate, became quantitative data. This foundational coupling of objectivity and number ensured the latter stood as non-biased, self-identical, and “true”.
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POINT OF INTEREST
EXPERIENTIAL INFO.RMATION DESIGN
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EXHIBIT E01 INTRODUCTION
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION The final exhibit provides a general overview of Experiential Information Design, and discusses how it juxtaposes two classes of experience—the objective and the subjective—and shows how they respectively correspond to conecpts of time/space and temporality/spatiality.
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This exhibit introduces visitors to the concept of experiential information design through the elaboration of twelve defining characteristics. An interactive podium is dedicated to each characteristic and allows visitors to explore various documents, pictures, and videos which help elucidate the characteristics role in such design.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
001 E02
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
EXPERIENTIAL INFORMATION DESIGN
STAGE
SECTION 006
THE EXHIBITS
SUBJECT
GOAL
INPUT
Exhibit visitors gain an understanding of the twelve key components of the experiential design framework.
Thesis Content
Various biometrics are collected from a visitor as she explores each of the characteristics in order that she can see a visualization of these metrics at the end of the exhibit. APPROACH
OBJECTIVE / COGNITIVE
OUTPUT
BPM GSR Phenom-Index
Time in Exhibit Time / Sub-exhibit Spatial Path
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POINT OF INTEREST
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EXP. INFO DESIGN
EXHIBIT E02
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
SUNBURST DIAGRAMS
DESCRIPTION The twelve characteristics are visualized as starburst diagrams, a contemporary form of information visualization that show the hierarchical relationship between different types of data. In these diagrams, the outer rings are "parents" of, or contain, the inner rings.
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POINT OF INTEREST
EXP. INFO DESIGN
EXHIBIT E02
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT CONTENT
DESCRIPTION Each podium enables viewers to explore research materials associated with each characteristic. Each black dot in the sunburst diagram represents one instance of visual or textual research which the viewer can view or read.
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POINT OF INTEREST
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EXP. INFO DESIGN
EXHIBIT E02
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
VISUALIZATION OF EXPERIENCE
DESCRIPTION
The final visualization of the Experiential Information Design exhibit shows a visitor how long they spend at each characteristic, what their heart rate and skin conductance was at each podium, and a visual representation of her "interest" in each characteristic, which is based on her phenomenological index.
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The Spatility exhibit marks a shift to mode of presentation that is more subjective and experiential than previous exhibits. It leverages dark ambient lighting, large monoliths with generative visualizations and three-dimensional, topographic visualizations which visitors can feel with their hands.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
002 E03
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
SPATIALITY
STAGE
SECTION 006
THE EXHIBITS
SUBJECT
GOAL
INPUT
A visitor should understand their level of engagement with each experiential design characteristic during the previous exhibit.
Thesis Content BPM GSR
足 visitor should have literally felt their previous experience by exploring the A topographic visualizations related to each characteristic. APPROACH
SUBJECTIVE / AFFECTIVE
Time in Exhibit Time / Sub-exhibit Phenom-Index
OUTPUT
BPM GSR Phenom-Index
Time / Sub-exhibit Spatial Path
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POINT OF INTEREST RADAR CHART
SPATIALITY
EXHIBIT E03
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION Spatiality enables a visitor to examine her engagement with the experiential information design characteristics from the previous exhibit. A star chart visualizes data such as how long a she spent learning about each characteristic as well as what her skin conductivity and heart rate were during that time.
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POINT OF INTEREST EXHIBIT CONTENT
SPATIALITY
EXHIBIT E03
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION Spatiality contextualizes its visualization by representing the visitor those artifacts which she engaged with in the previous exhibit. This allows her to make meaningful associations betwee, for example, her heart rate and a particularly compelling video clip.
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POINT OF INTEREST
HAPTIC “VISUALIZATION” OF EXPERIENCE
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SPATIALITY
EXHIBIT E03
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION Spatiality's podiums feature a series of pistons which, when activated via the touch screen, rise up and create a threedimensional topographic "visualization" of the visitor's biometric readings taken during the previous exhibit. This novel approach to data visualization allows her to her to touch her own experience .
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Temporality is the most abstract and ambiguous of all exhibits in A View From Somewhere. This exhibit creates in real-time a series of dynamic network visualizations which are fueled by the visitor's biometric data. Each data stream controls a different aspect of the network visualizations, such as diameter, speed, and color.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
002 E04
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
TEMPORALITY
STAGE
SECTION 006
THE EXHIBITS
SUBJECT
GOAL
INPUT
A visitor should experience an auditory "visualization" of her biometric readings in the form of a series of rapid pulses.
BPM GSR Phenom-Index
A visitor should explore how biometrics associated with experiential information design characteristics influence the generative network displays adorning the walls of Temporality. APPROACH
SUBJECTIVE / AFFECTIVE
Time / Sub-exhibit
OUTPUT
Time in Exhibit Phenom-Index Spatial Path
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POINT OF INTEREST PULSING CIRCLES
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TEMPORALITY
EXHIBIT E04
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION
Upon entering Temporality, a visitor's previous exhibit experience is transformed into a series of pulsing lights and sounds. The timing of the pulses is determined by the amount of time the visitor spent at each of Spatiality's monoliths. Whereas the radius of the circles is determined by the visitor's phenomenological index at each monolith.
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POINT OF INTEREST EXHIBIT CONTENT
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TEMPORALITY
EXHIBIT E04
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION Temporality transcodes a visitor's biometric data into abstract, generative network diagrams. These dynamic radial plots animate based on the continuous data streams associated with her heartbeat, skin conductivity, phemonenological index, and time spent at each experiential information design characteristic.
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YOUR EXPERIENCE IN DATA
MINUTES PER EXHIBIT
HEART RATE
GALVANIC SKIN RESPONSE
PHENOMENOLOGICAL INDEX
.90 .85 .92 .88 .90 .89 .91
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.91 .88 .91 .86 .91
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Sociality is A View From Somewhere's culminating exhibit. It provides visitors the opportunity to see their own unique "data story" incorporated and juxtaposed with the stories of previous visitors. Three visualizations —one traditional, one abstract, and one hybrid—provide opportunities for visitors to learn about the social construction of "objective" data.
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003 E05
DESCRIPTION
NUMBER
SOCIALITY
STAGE
SECTION 006
THE EXHIBITS
SUBJECT
GOAL
INPUT
A visitor should observe how her individual biometrics can be aggregated and subsumed into large-scale, normative patterns.
Phenom-Index Time in Exhibit Spatial Path
A visitor should juxtapose her specific path through the previous three exhibits with the paths of previous patrons in order.
OUTPUT
N/A APPROACH
UNIFIED / CRITICAL
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POINT OF INTEREST EXHIBIT CONTENT
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SOCIALITY
EXHIBIT E05
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION
In contrast to Temporality's ambiguous and abstract visualizations, Sociality thrusts a visitor back into the familiar light of traditional information visualization. The first sub-exhibit features a schematic which details how third-person, objective data is socially constructed from first-person experiential data.
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POINT OF INTEREST ME, YOU, US
SOCIALITY
EXHIBIT E05
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION
Sociality's primary interactive sub-exhibit allows a visitor to visualize her spatial paths from the three previous exhibits. Further, she can overlay her paths on top of paths from previous visitors. When this happens, the visitor's path disappears into a more prominent solid path, which represents how individual data points give rise to objective data.
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POINT OF INTEREST
GENERATIVE WALL GRAPHICS
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SOCIALITY
EXHIBIT E05
SECTION 006 THE EXHIBITS
DESCRIPTION Sociality's large LED wall presents a visitor with an abstract network visualization of how the biometrics of individuals can be aggregated and normalized in order to draw out statistical patterns and regularities.
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SECTION 006
EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS
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EXPERIE THEORY BUT THE EXPERIE INTELLE
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SOURCE
ENCE WITHOUT Y IS BLIND, EORY WITHOUT ENCE IS MERE ECTUAL PLAY. —IMMANUEL KANT
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DESCRIPTION
Experiential Information Design draws inspiration and guidance from a set of twelve characteristics. Taken together, these characteristics can help a design communicate to its audience both intellectutally and emotionally. Let's analyze A View From Somewhere in terms of these twelve characteristics.
MULTI-MODAL
01
AFFECTIVE
PLIABLE
02
04
DYNAMICALLY RESPONSIVE
INCORPORATIVE
03
05
NON-LINEAR
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
NUMBER
EXPERIENTIAL ANALYSIS
SECTION 004
SUBJECT
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
AMBIGUOUS
07
ANALYTIC / SYNTHETIC
RELATIONAL
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ANTHROPOMETRIC
SPECULATIVE
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11
CRITICAL
12
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
01 MULTI-MODAL
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A View From Somewhere addresses itself to three of the five senses. Most obviously, the sense of sight plays a critical role in the exhibit. Humans are primarily visual creatures, so this fact should be obvious. In addition, visitors are encouraged to use their sense of touch to interact with various aspects of the exhibit. This is especially pronounced in the Spatiality exhibit, wherein visitors can touch a three-dimensional “topographic visualization” of their experience. This miniature landscape instantiates a visitor’s biometric data in tangible form and allows her to touch a physical representation of her subjective experience. The Temporality exhibit performs a related translation, addressing hearing rather than touch, when it translates a visitor’s experience into a series of percussive pulses.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
The measurement of affect is one of A View From Somewhere’s most defining features. The exhibit is designed to incorporate into itself biometric readings related to a visitor’s bodily functions such as heart rate and skin conductance. These sorts of bodily functions are regulated by the autonomic nervous system, a part of the nervous system that operates below conscious awareness. The biometric data associated with these autonomic functions can be interpreted as a visitor’s emotional state, such as excitement, anxiety, or boredom. (This is how a lie detector works.) By leveraging such data in its visualizations, A View From Somewhere offers a visitor an opportunity for empathetic identification with an objectified version of “herself”.
02 AFFECTIVE
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
03 DYNAMICALLY RESPONSIVE
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Almost all of A View From Somewhere’s exhibits are dynamic and responsive. Throughout the exhibit, a visitor experiences animations that illustrate how individual data streams change over time, and, more importantly, how the relationships between those data streams evolve. Further, visualizations are designed to respond to a visitor’s purposeful interaction—such as pushing a button—and her emotional state—such as when her heart-rate impacts the topography of Spatiality. The upshot of such interactions is that the visitor is made an integral part of the exhibit; it literally would not be complete without her. This necessary partnership between person and object helps exploit the secondary definition of “empathy” we learned about earlier.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
A View From Somewhere is a pliable system. While it has obvious constraints, it is designed so that it can respond to new information in unpredictable ways. The boundaries of the exhibit are created by its architecture and by its basic content—introductory information on information visualization, objectivity, phenomenology, and experiential information design itself. The unpredictable content stems from the incorporation of the visitor’s biometric data, which is able to tweak configurable system parameters to produce unique experiences.
04 PLIABLE
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
05 INCORPORATIVE
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
Of all the experiential design characteristics, incorporation is perhaps the most integral to the design of A View From Somewhere. The entire exhibit is designed around the capacity for novel data streams to be introjected into each sub-exhibit in order to produce visualizations customized for each visitor. This is possible because of the exhibit’s “feed-forward” system architecture. Whenever biometric data is collected from a visitor, it is then fed back into the system and influences the configuration and output of the next exhibit. Of course, in order for this architecture to work, a visitor must be willing to become part of the system and volunteer information about herself via a feedback sensor.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
As we well know, A View From Somewhere has been designed to incorporate novel data into itself in the form of a visitor’s biometric data. As a result, while the initial stages of the exhibit are the same for different visitors, ultimately the exhibit manifests a customtailored experience. This type of system, in which future configurations can not be predicted from initial states due to the incorporation of new information over time, are by definition non-linear. Non-linearity is also encoded into the exhibit’s custom biometric measurement, the “phenomenological index”. This measurement is a number, expressed as a percentage, that combines all of the other biometrics into a convenient package. The mathematical function which calculates the phenomenological index features two terms which are “squared”, or multiplied with themselves, before being added to other terms. Any function which contains squared terms is considered to be non-linear. If one were to visualize a visitor’s phenomenological index percentage in relation to her other biometrics, its value would increase at a much faster rate than the other variables. If this visualization were a graph, the line that shows this increase in value would not be a line, or “linear”, but would instead be a concave curve.
06 NON-LINEAR
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
07 AMBIGUOUS
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
A View From Somewhere attempts to gradually weave ambiguity into a visitor’s experience, thereby transitioning her from passive viewer to active collaborator in a controlled and comfortable way. Early visualizations are designed in the style of traditional information design, in which information is clearly articulated in an unambiguous manner. These exhibits help orient a visitor by providing her with the context she will need to help make sense of later exhibits. As the visitor progresses through the exhibit—into the realms of Spatiality, Temporality, and Sociality—the visualizations get more and more abstract by addressing senses other than sight. As the exhibits undergo this shift in presentational mode, the viewer is required to come up with her own interpretation of the data and make sense of how it is related to her experience. This act of interpretive discovery is meaning-making par excellence. Because the viewer is an equal partner in the production of meaning, the possibility of empathetic identification is significantly increased.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
A View From Somewhere is both analytic and synthetic because it juxtaposes traditional modes of analytic information design against more holistic, metaphorical visualizations of data. The transition between these different types of visualizations happens as a visitor progresses through the exhibit. First, she encounters traditional forms of analytic information design which showcase the initial content of the exhibit, relying primarily on words, charts, and numeric data. Later, the visitor confronts generative aesthetic visualizations of her own experience which are much more ambiguous. At the end of A View From Somewhere, these two types of visualizations, representing the third-person and first-person viewpoints respectively, are synthesized with data from previous visitors. These multiple juxtapositions help the visitor not only understand intellectually but also intuit the relationships between first-, second-, and third-person perspectives on data.
08 ANALYTIC / SYNTHETIC
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
09 ANTHROPOMETRIC
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A View From Somewhere is inherently anthropometric because it is designed at a scale that resonates with the human form. Because the majority of exhibits are as large as or, in some cases, much larger than the average human, a visitor’s overall experience is incredibly immersive. She can more easily feel like a part of the exhibit because it is designed to envelop her. For example, when viewing visualizations of her biometric data, a visitor does not see a small, static chart, but is instead confronted with a towering, interactive LED screen which fills her visual field. This immersive quality intensifies the visitor’s experience, engaging both her intellect and emotions more powerfully. A beneficial side-effect of this compelling emotional punch is that the exhibit potentially has more dynamic biometric data to work with.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
A View From Somewhere experiments with relationality in the final exhibit, Sociality. As the name suggests, this exhibit allows a visitor to see her own unique experience juxtaposed and integrated with the experiences of other visitors. This happens in two ways. First, a large LED wall features an abstract, generative visualization which shows how a visitor’s path through A View From Somewhere can be averaged with that of other visitors to produce network graphs showing the general tendencies of large groups. The incorporation of a visitor’s first-person experience a larger social story allows her to feel like an integral part of that story. Second, Sociality’s final subexhibit allows a visitor to view her individual path through A View From Somewhere in juxtaposition with paths taken by previous visitors. Therefore, the exhibit leverages an asynchronous version of relationally in which past relations are brought to bear on the present to create visualizations of social dynamics.
10 RELATIONAL
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THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
11 SPECULATIVE
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
At its heart, A View From Somewhere is a speculative project. Given the prototypical nature of the experiential information design framework presented in this essay, any exhibit designed according to such principles automatically inherits their experimental and probing nature. In developing the virtual exhibit, I have attempted to infuse its sub-exhibits with new and interesting modes of interactivity. Further, the incorporative, feed-forward nature of the overall exhibit is based on a new mode of constant interaction between visitor and visualization. When combined together, these traits make some headway in cultivating new ways of “seeing� an information visualization which, I believe, will engender more effective communication with a viewer. While I think experiential information design can deliver on this promise, it is currently a working hypothesis in need of empirical verification. My hope is that my fellow information designers will help with this speculative experiment.
THE 12 CHARACTERISTICS
Of all the experiential information design characteristics, criticality is the most downplayed in A View From Somewhere. As a viewer makes her way through the exhibit, she continually confronts her own experience as it is visualized in front of her. This externalization of experience establishes a distance between the visitor and her objectified “self”. This critical distancing is important for it allows her to gain some insight into her habitual movements and her unconscious bodily states. When she makes associations between various biometrics and exhibit content, she creates meaning and thereby arrives at a more complete understanding of herself in relation to a given subject. I stress that this notion of critical reflection is downplayed, not because it is not important—it is—but rather because this act should be natural, not forced. Certain visitors might be naturally more inclined to be self-reflective and this aspect of a View From Somewhere will resonate more with those visitors. If other visitors are less self-reflective, they can still have a rewarding and meaningful experience, but perhaps slightly less so than those who are more prone to such ruminations.
12 CRITICAL
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
APPENDIX A
INSPIRATION
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WITHOUT AR HAVE NO NO SACRED; WIT WE SHOULD SHIP FALSE
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
SOURCE
RT, WE SHOULD OTION OF THE THOUT SCIENCE, D ALWAYS WORGODS. —W.H. AUDEN
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DESCRIPTION
A series of inspirational images that influenced the concept and design of A View From Somewhere.
N/A
INSPIRATION GRID TOOL
APPENDIX A
INSPIRATION
SUBJECT
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
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DESCRIPTION
A series of inspirational images that influenced the concept and design of A View From Somewhere.
N/A
INSPIRATION GRID TOOL
APPENDIX A
INSPIRATION
SUBJECT
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
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WH BY IM BY
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A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
SOURCE
HAT I BEGAN Y READING MUST FINISH Y ACTING. —HENRY DAVID THOREAU
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DESCRIPTION
The genesis of A View From Somewhere can be found across a number of sketch books. My design process always begins on pen and paper, which facilitates note taking and sketching. These are a representative sample of my sketchbook pages.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
PEN & PAPER
CONCEPT
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
More examples of concepting and brainstorming in sketchbooks. The larger images showcase in detail the beginning stages of laying out the architectural plan and elevation for A View From Somewhere to scale.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
PEN & PAPER
CONCEPT
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
These images showcase a later phase of digital "sketching" using Adobe Illustrator and Maxon's Cinema 4d. These sketches show the evolution of A View From Somewhere's architecture, building properties—such as floor and wall textures, lighting systems, and interactive exhibits.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
COMPUTER
CONCEPT
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
More images of digital "sketches" showcasing 3D modeling, the evolution of A View From Somewhere's logo, and a number of static shots from a generative computer program which visualizes data points both individually and in network diagrams.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
COMPUTER
CONCEPT
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
Once the concepting and experimentation phase of the process was complete, I used Illustrator to design the various content for A View From Somewhere. Once the designs were finalized they were exported as images to be used as textures in Cinema 4D.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
ILLUSTRATOR
EXECUTION
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
One of the unique characteristics of A View From Somewhere is its ability to use input from exhibit patrons to generate novel visualizations. In order to prototype what these visualization would look like, I used the Processing programming language. All of the animated viewscreens in the exhibit were custom coded.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
PROCESSING
EXECUTION
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
Cinema 4D is a modeling and animation program that allowed me to build a virtual exhibit at the appropriate scale. Once the exhibit was built, I incorporated the textures from Illustrator and the generative visualizations from Processing to create a 1st person fly through of A View From Somewhere.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
CINEMA 4D
EXECUTION
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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DESCRIPTION
I used Adobe After Effects in order to prototype A View From Somewhere's interactive exhibits. Small video clips were created that showed how a particular exhibit would react to a visitor's touch. Once these were complete, After Effects was used to composite these videos with the output of Cinema 4D to create a final video.
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE
AFTER EFFECTS
EXECUTION
TOOL
APPENDIX B
PROCESS
SUBJECT
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AN M.F.A THESIS PROJECT GRAPHIC DESIGN SCAD-ATLANTA 2014 168
A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE