Information Visualization Applications and

Implications

Ming Bi

05/22/2001

When there is no vision, the people perish

Information VisualizationInformation Visualization

Definition of Information visualization Information visualization is the use of computer

supported interactive visual representation of abstract data to amplify cognition

GoalsDiscoveryDecision makingExplanation

Information VisualizationInformation Visualization

Mantra for DesignersOverview first, zoom and filter, then details-on-demand

Other tasks need to be supportedExtraction of objects for further examination or

consultation with othersHistory keeping to record the user’s actions and results

List of ApplicationsList of Applications

Statistical and Categorical DataDigital LibrariesPersonal ServicesComplex DocumentsHistoriesClassificationsNetworks

Statistical and Categorical Data

Statistical and Categorical Data

Census, health, labor, economic, and other demographic data

Stocks, bonds, bank accounts, currency tradingSales by region, product, salesperson, customerManufacturing process supervisionDrug, chemical, material attributes

Statistical and Categorical Data

Statistical and Categorical Data

Information visualization provides significant advantages that complement spreadsheets, statistical packages and data mining tools

Table, Scatterplots, Parallel coordinates

Users seek to discover specific objects that best match their requirements

Users seek to discover understand patterns

Statistical and Categorical Data

Statistical and Categorical Data

Statistical and Categorical Data

Statistical and Categorical Data

Digital LibraryDigital LibraryBooks, films,videos, photos, maps,manuscripts, audio

recordingsPatents, scientific journal articles, legal citations and

statutesNewspaper and magazine articlesScientific and social science data setsWorld Wide Web pages

Digital LibraryDigital LibraryQuery preview indicate the cardinality of the result set

Mapping multidimensional document space into 2D or 3DPreviews are nicely complemented by overviews that are

constructed by representing each object in the collection in a 2D display

similar items may or may not be closed to each other

Personal ServicesPersonal ServicesTravel info on airlines, trains,hotels,restaurantsClassified ads for home, real estate, jobsConsumer comparisons of cars, TVsSports statisticsEntertainment eventsChallenge:

Complex criteria Flexible search strategies and easy relaxation of queries

Complex DocumentsComplex Documents

Biography, resume, annual reportBook, film, video, manuscript, audio recordingPatent, scientific article, treaty, contractSoftware module, data structure

tasks are varied: previews, key words search, content compare

HistoriesHistories

Exploration of temporal dataMedical patient historiesStudent, sales client, legal case, employment historiesEconomic trends, stocksProject management, Gantt charts, PERT-CPM

ClassificationsClassificationsClassification using hierarchies to help organize complex

information and reduce the amount of information people need to cope with at any time

Library subject headings, animal species, patent listingsTables of contents, organization chart, family trees

Tree structureshard disk data directories

node-link diagram, cone trees, tree maps using space-filling,hyperbolic trees, CHEOPS

Budgets, sales

ClassificationsClassifications

Classifications vary greatly in size and complexity

Flexible visualization tools are needed and task must deal with:

TopologyNodes with namesNode with names and attributes

NetworksNetworksNetwork is necessary because tree is inadequate to capture all relationships

among objects.Telecommunications connections and usageHighways, pipelines, electronic circuitsScientific articles or legal citationsSocial structures, organizational relationshipsWorld Wide Web

Challenge: elaborate topology, Large number of nodes, complexity of the tasks

Limitation and CautionsLimitation and Cautions

Limitation: Only for sighted peopleSonification or audiolization

Cautions: Many users may not be visual orientedPeople may misuse it and come to wrong conclusionsIncompatible formats for data, nonstandard widgets and

inconsistent terminology--can be overcome

ImplicationsImplicationsInformation visualization will be popular tools for most

computer usersPersonal services are likely to be the largest area of

commercial applicationsThe most likely profession for substantial change is

medicineProvide more thorough and appropriate sets of

precedents and statute for legal research

ImplicationsImplications

Financial analysts use dynamical of screen for more visual display and dynamical query to help filter out unwanted data

Scientific users become more sophisticated in their approach to research

Information visualization tools will be components of other application software like word processor

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Advantages of 2D presentations2D screenvisual perception based on seeing 2D projection of 3D worlduser are familiar with paper presentation2D presentations are faster on computer2D presentation are simplertree structure more useful in 2D versions

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Advantages of 3D presentations3D real world and experience based on movement in 3Ddevelopment of hardware/software will overcome the

technology difficult for 3D3D pointing devices and better control widget will enable

smooth navigation without disorientationmore information can be displayed on the screennetwork data structure more effective in 3D versions

Compromiser: there is room for both

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Two-vs. Three-Dimensional Presentations

Proposed 3D applicationsImmersive Virtual EnvironmentSemi-immersive Virtual EnvironmentDesktop 3D for 3D worldsDesktop 3D for artificial worldsDesktop 3D for novel information spacesChartjunk 3D

Overview+Detail vs.Focus+Context

Overview+Detail vs.Focus+Context

Overview+Detail strategyIntegrate overview and details is cognitively for some viewerszoom factor-- the ratio of length of the diagonal in the detail

view to the length of the diagonal in the field view box: 5-15support zoom factors of 100 or 1000 when applied repeatedly

Focus+contextFisheye views, Bifocal lens: Greater potential for disorientationzoom factor-- the ratio of an object’s diagonal in the focus area

to the object’s diagonal in the context area: 2-5

Reengineering the DesktopReengineering the Desktop

Room strategy--workspace or virtual desktopElastic Windows3D worlds--WebbookPersonal Role Management strategyCoping with Multiple-valued attributes

represented as multiple items on a display

Understanding Human perception

Conclusion

Information Visualization is part of new mediabrings increased resources to the human in the form of

perceptual processing and expanded working memeoryreduce the search for informationenhance the recognition of patternsenables the use of perceptual inference and perceptual

monitoringitself is manipulable and interactive

Future TrendsFuture Trends

Entering the mainstreamMoving towards applicationsIntegrated packagesNetworksEducational Infrastructure

Unsolved problemsUnsolved problems

New metaphors/new visualizationsBringing science to the craftThe visualization of cyberspaceCollaborative visualizationA characterization of Information visualization down to the

operator level The perceptual analysis of dynamic information displayAdvances in the science of dynamic spatial cognitionA theory of knowledge crystallization