arch5470
3-Credit Seminar
Eric Field
MW 11am-12:15pm

information space

Date Topic Assignments / Exercises
August 24 -
Wed
Introduction
- Visual Data / Visual Problem Solving
- Using and Building Visualization Tools
- Semester Goals and Contexts
Assignment I -
The good, the bad, and the ugly
- Discovering Information Graphics
August 29 -
Mon
Review Assignment I
- In-class discussion
PART I : INFORMATION AS A CONSTRUCTION
August 31 -
Wed
Language, Graphics, and Communication
- Means of communication - speak, write, draw, gesture
- Graphics, Signs, Symbols, and Icons
- Ideograms and the Language of Symbols
- Braille and Morse Code
- Sign and Gesture
- Diagrams of Language
- Music and Dance Notation
Assignment II - Describe yourself through information, graphically
September 5 -
Mon
Introduction to Tools for Graphic Description
- Describing the display of information
- Meta languages: Illustrator, SVG, SGML, HTML, XML, XSLT
- Objects with Properties
- <html> syntax and web page basics
 
September 7 -
Wed
The Material of Information
- The Five Senses (and how we use them)
- Mappings and Recordings
- Information Recording Devices
September 12 -
Mon
Structuring Information Objects
- HTML and CSS basics
- Basic object description
- The object tree, containers, & properties
- Graphic control with Cascading Style Sheets
September 14 -
Wed
Review Assignment II
- In-class discussion
Assignment III - Analyze an existing information graphic
September 19 -
Mon
Escaping Flatland [Tufte]
- Recording and Describing Phenomena
- Statistics, Graphs, Maps, and Diagrams
- Galileo
September 21 -
Wed
CSS 2 - Structure and Position
- Blocks, Inlines, and Graphics
- Alignments, Size, Margin, Padding
- Absolute and Relative positioning
- Stacking, backgrounds, transparency
September 26 -
Mon
REVIEW & DISCUSSION
- Review and Discuss Assignment III
September 28 -
Wed
Prelude to a Problem
- The energy context - Energyville game visualization
- (Eric in Boston for conference)
Play Energyville,
Prepare to discuss

PART II : INFORMATION AS AGENT
October 3 -
Mon
Serious Games - Interactive Information Systems
- "Game" interfaces to complex problems
- The Chesapeake Bay and the UVA Bay Game
- a graphical and procedural way to show problem / solution
October 5 -
Wed
Play the UVA Bay Game Assignment IV - Asking questions graphically. Visual Informatics in the UVA Bay Game
October 10 -
Mon
--- Reading Holiday - No Class  
October 12 -
Wed
Analytic Design
- Edward Tufte & The Grand Principles of Analytic Design
- Examples: asking questions graphically
October 17 -
Mon
Screen Dynamics
- CSS and Javascript dynamics
 
October 19 -
Wed
Graphics for Decision Making
- Discussion of Assignment IV
 
October 24 -
Mon
Energy: A Case Study in Information Assignment V -
Choose an Issue to Explore Visually and build it as an information web
October 26 -
Wed
Spatial Interfaces
- The Design of Everyday Things
- Xerox PARC and the GUI - how people actually work.
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines
- The Building as Information, Constructed
October 31 -
Mon
Discussion - Preliminary Sketches on Assignment V
November 2 -
Wed
Discussion - Preliminary Sketches on Assignment V Final Project Assigned:
A graphic proposal: Visualizing the dynamics of a system ...
November 7 -
Mon
Orientation and Organization
- "Cyber" Space
- Order, Space, and Time
- Physical and Virtual Organization
- Finding your way - Signs and Wayfinding
- Cognitive Mapping (the 2nd grade exercise)
 
November 9 -
Wed
Procedural Data Mapping
- PHP and other coding loops
- processing large datasets quickly
November 14 -
Mon
Tools for Data Processing and Visualization
- Dataviz / Vidi / Drupal
- Google toolkit / Google fusion tables
- Processing
- HTML 5
November 16 -
Wed
Preliminary Design Review
- Review Final Project Ideas and Progress
- Interim review of sketches / mock-ups
November 21
Mon
Preliminary Design Review
- Review Final Project Ideas and Progress
- Interim review of sketches / mock-ups
 
November 23
Wed
--- Thanksgiving Holiday - No Class  
November 28 -
Mon
Working session Individual meetings
November 30 -
Wed
Working session Individual meetings
December 5 -
Mon
Final Class - Conclusions  
       
December 16 - 9am - 12pm : Final Project Review