Overview

This course introduces students to the basic design concepts, terminology, methodologies, tools and applications of data visualization. We also examine the related fields of data sonification and generalized data perceptualization. The course covers digital workflows for creating visualizations and data representations using tools for data exploration and analysis, visualization design and interaction design. Student creative teams work collaboratively to solve design problems in data representation and communication. The goal of the course is the creation of visually powerful, well designed, data-accurate data visualizations of real research problems in the Humanities, Arts and Sciences. (3.0 credits)

This course is open to all undergraduate and graduate students. There are no pre-requisites. Previous experience with either graphic design, or coding for web or graphics is helpful but not essential.

Textbooks

• REQUIRED: Tufte, E. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information (2nd Edition). Graphics Press, 2001.
• REQUIRED: Tufte, E. Envisioning Information. Graphics Press, 1990. (pdf)
  

Tools

• The Vega "visualization grammar," D3.js, with HTML5 & CSS3 for print and web-based visualization
• Adobe CC for print and screen media
• Various Web applications, Excel, and software such as R or Matlab for data exploration
• Various software tools for incorporating motion, interactivity and sound in data representations.
  

Topical Outline

Weeks 1-3: THEORY & DESIGN
Calendar: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Assignment #1

• Data Perceptualization: Visualization, Sonification and multi-modal data representation
• Rationale for Data Visualization
• Data Models / Image Models, Semiology, Visual Encoding
• Visualization Design
• Exploratory Data Analysis

Weeks 4-6: THEORY & DESIGN
Calendar: Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Assignment #2

• Multidimensional Data
• Psychophysics: Visual and Auditory Perception
• Color
• Space
• Time
• Grammar of Graphics

Weeks 7-8: VISUALIZATION DESIGN SOFTWARE
Calendar: Week 7, Week 8, Assignment #3

• Visualization Software Overview
• Declarative Visualization Design (Vega, Vega-lite, Lyra, ggplot2, etc.)
• JavaScript & D3

Weeks 9-15: SPECIAL TOPICS & PROBLEMS
Calendar: Week 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, Assignment #4

Topics selected from among the following:

• Data Sonification
• Real World Interactivity
• Visual Programming (aka node based programming)
• Interaction & animation
• Immersive Visualization
• Visualizing Time & Time Series
• Introduction to Visualizing Networks
• Introduction to GIS (Mapping & Cartography)
• Narrative in Visualization: Digital Storytelling, Data Journalism
• Visual Analysis of Text