Interactive Visualizations for Biodiversity InformationInteractive Visualizations for Biodiversity Information

Bongshin LeeResearcherVisualization and Interaction Research GroupMicrosoft Research

Bongshin LeeResearcherVisualization and Interaction Research GroupMicrosoft Research

Interactive Visualizations for Biodiversity InformationInteractive Visualizations for Biodiversity Information

Bongshin LeeComputer Science DepartmentHuman-Computer Interaction LabUniversity of Maryland

Bongshin LeeComputer Science DepartmentHuman-Computer Interaction LabUniversity of Maryland

Why Interactive Visualization?Why Interactive Visualization?

Biodiversity databases have become widely available to the public and to other researchers

Trees and graphs are commonly used information structures

Animal classification, food webs, gene ontology, …

Visual representations exploit human visual processing to reduce the cognitive load

Better interactive tools are needed for visual data exploration

Biodiversity databases have become widely available to the public and to other researchers

Trees and graphs are commonly used information structures

Animal classification, food webs, gene ontology, …

Visual representations exploit human visual processing to reduce the cognitive load

Better interactive tools are needed for visual data exploration

PaperLens

TaxonTreeNSF-funded project at UMD with- Cyndy Parr- Dana Campbell- Ben Bederson

Biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of all life on Earth - from genes to species to entire ecosystems. -- Smithsonian Institution Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity Program

ChallengeChallenge

Complex databasesOrganism names

Habitats

Interactions

Conservation status

Reproductive parameters

…

Complex databasesOrganism names

Habitats

Interactions

Conservation status

Reproductive parameters

…

Non-expert usersPolicy makers

Land-use planners

Educators

Students

Laypersons

…

Non-expert usersPolicy makers

Land-use planners

Educators

Students

Laypersons

…

TaxonTree - Visualizing the Taxonomic HierarchyTaxonTree - Visualizing the Taxonomic Hierarchy

Hierarchy of 200,000 animal namesIntegration of public/private sources

Extension of SpaceTree [Plaisant et al., InfoVis ’02]

Interactive tree visualization

Integrated searching and browsing

Animation

Hierarchy of 200,000 animal namesIntegration of public/private sources

Extension of SpaceTree [Plaisant et al., InfoVis ’02]

Interactive tree visualization

Integrated searching and browsing

Animation

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/biodiversity

B. Lee, C.S. Parr, D. Campbell, B.B. Bederson (2004) How Users Interact with Biodiversity Information Using TaxonTree Proceedings of AVI 2004, pp. 320-327

C.S. Parr, B. Lee, D. Campbell, B.B. Bederson (2004)Visualizations for Taxonomic and Phylogenetic TreesBioinformatics, Vol. 20, No. 17, pp. 2997-3004

TaxonTree DesignTaxonTree Design

Collaborative designTarget audience

Undergraduates in biology class

Transitioning from novice to expert

Undergraduate design partners

Domain-specific visualization

Scaling up

Collaborative designTarget audience

Undergraduates in biology class

Transitioning from novice to expert

Undergraduate design partners

Domain-specific visualization

Scaling up

TaxonTreeTaxonTree

Written in Javawith Piccolo.Java

Demo

TaxonTree EvaluationTaxonTree Evaluation

Qualitative study with 18 biology students

GoalsCharacterize users of biodiversity domain

Investigate usability and interaction preferences

Examine information understanding

ResultsInteraction with the tree is very intuitive

Browse rather than search

Make inferences using tree structure

Interested users want more control over interaction

Qualitative study with 18 biology students

GoalsCharacterize users of biodiversity domain

Investigate usability and interaction preferences

Examine information understanding

ResultsInteraction with the tree is very intuitive

Browse rather than search

Make inferences using tree structure

Interested users want more control over interaction

Adopting TaxonTreeAdopting TaxonTree

Deployed for the publicUniversity of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web (ADW), http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

60,000 visits/day

Biologists love TaxonTreePhylogeny of Lepidoptera Project (LepTree), http://www.leptree.net

California Academy of Sciences’ AntWeb, http://www.antweb.org

Cyberinfrastructure for Phylogenetic Research (CIPRES), http://www.phylo.org

Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK), http://seek.ecoinformatics.org

Deployed for the publicUniversity of Michigan’s Animal Diversity Web (ADW), http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu

60,000 visits/day

Biologists love TaxonTreePhylogeny of Lepidoptera Project (LepTree), http://www.leptree.net

California Academy of Sciences’ AntWeb, http://www.antweb.org

Cyberinfrastructure for Phylogenetic Research (CIPRES), http://www.phylo.org

Science Environment for Ecological Knowledge (SEEK), http://seek.ecoinformatics.org

DiscussionDiscussion

Interactive tree visualization can be applied to the biodiversity domain for a broad audience

Integrated searching and browsing with animation

Incremental Exploration

Interactive tree visualization can be applied to the biodiversity domain for a broad audience

Integrated searching and browsing with animation

Incremental Exploration

Beyond Hierarchies?

PaperLens

TaxonTree

Intern project at MSR with- Mary Czerwinski, MSR- George Robertson, MSR- Ben Bederson, UMD

MotivationMotivation

InfoVis 2004 Contest The history of InfoVis

155 papers by 315 authors for 8 years (1995~2002)

TasksCharacterize the research areas and their evolution

Where does a particular author fit within the research areas?

What are the relationships between two or more or all authors?

http:// www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/iv04contest

InfoVis 2004 Contest The history of InfoVis

155 papers by 315 authors for 8 years (1995~2002)

TasksCharacterize the research areas and their evolution

Where does a particular author fit within the research areas?

What are the relationships between two or more or all authors?

http:// www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/iv04contest

PaperLens - Non Node-link Graph VisualizationPaperLens - Non Node-link Graph Visualization

Multiple small and simple components

Abstract overview of data

Show relationships dynamically

Two design iterations: InfoVis and CHI

Multiple small and simple components

Abstract overview of data

Show relationships dynamically

Two design iterations: InfoVis and CHI

Intern Project at Microsoft Research

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/paperlens

Winner of InfoVis 2004 Contest

B. Lee, M. Czerwinski, G. Robertson, B.B. Bederson (2005) Understanding Research Trends in Conferences using PaperLensExtended Abstracts of CHI 2005, pp. 1069-1072

B. Lee, M. Czerwinski, G. Robertson, B.B. Bederson (2004) Understanding Eight Years of InfoVis Conferences using PaperLensPosters Compendium of InfoVis 2004, pp. 53-54

PaperLens - CHIPaperLens - CHI

Written in C#with Piccolo.NET

• 23 years (1982-2004)• 4073 papers• 6300 authors• 15 topics

Demo

PaperLens EvaluationPaperLens Evaluation

Qualitative study with the InfoVis dataset

8 researchers (including 1 pilot subject)

16 tasks

ResultsMost tasks were performed in less than 20 seconds

Usability IssuesAuthor search

Consistency

Screen usage

Qualitative study with the InfoVis dataset

8 researchers (including 1 pilot subject)

16 tasks

ResultsMost tasks were performed in less than 20 seconds

Usability IssuesAuthor search

Consistency

Screen usage

EcoLens -- Visualizing food websEcoLens -- Visualizing food webs

Project at UMD with- Cyndy Parr- Ben Bederson

NetLens: Extension of PaperLensGeneral: “Content-Actor” data model

Scalable: Relational database, simple components

Implemented by Hyunmo Kang (HCIL, UMD)

Node-link graph visualization has its placeIntegrate it with EcoLens/NetLens

NetLens: Extension of PaperLensGeneral: “Content-Actor” data model

Scalable: Relational database, simple components

Implemented by Hyunmo Kang (HCIL, UMD)

Node-link graph visualization has its placeIntegrate it with EcoLens/NetLens

DiscussionDiscussion

H. Kang, C. Plaisant, B. Lee, B.B. Bederson (2006) NetLens: Iterative Exploration of Content-Actor Network DataTo appear in Proceedings of VAST 2006, invited to Information Visualization Journal

H. Kang, C. Plaisant, B. Lee, B.B. Bederson (2006) Exploring Content-Actor Paired Network Data using Iterative Query Refinement with NetLensProceedings of JCDL 2006, pp. 372 (Demo)

ConclusionsConclusions

Interactive visualization helps data exploration and understanding

TaxonTreeposes little difficulty even for novice users

can be applied to other taxonomies

PaperLens novel alternative to common node-link graph visualizations

its concept can be applied to biodiversity domain

Interactive visualization helps data exploration and understanding

TaxonTreeposes little difficulty even for novice users

can be applied to other taxonomies

PaperLens novel alternative to common node-link graph visualizations

its concept can be applied to biodiversity domain

For more information• http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/biodiversity• http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/graphvis

© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation.Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft,and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation.MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.