A1-AndyCarle
From CS294-10 Visualization Fa07
Contents |
[edit] Background
I have opted to be somewhat contrarian on this assignment by using very simple sketches of concepts rather than chart representations of complicated data. Both examples are pulled from A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction, the 1977 text from Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein.
For those unfamiliar with it, A Pattern Language is the seminal work on design patterns and pattern languages. Design patterns are abstractions of best practices in a design field. In the words of Alexander, “Each pattern describes a problem which occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can use this solution a million times over, without ever doing it the same way twice." The images below are sketches used in the book to illustrate patterns.
[edit] Good Visualization
[edit] Description
The text at the top of the image is the pattern itself, as opposed to a caption per se. The sketch depicts the pattern: groups of houses clustered around a common area of land. The captions identify and differentiate these objects.
[edit] Deconstruction
I find the deconstruction process to be awkward, at best, on this type of information visualization, as there is very little data. The data set, so to speak, is simply the author's opinion of how best to organize groups of houses. Thus, the data are the positions, count, and size of houses and the position and size of common areas (essentially arrays of integers). These values are encoded in the image via position and area on the X and Y axes. This is the usual style of a map. For the sake of disambiguation, all the houses are drawn using a common symbol (rectangles) while common areas are delineated by hash marks. There is little redundant information, as the number of houses gives a good sense of context.
[edit] Critique
The pattern explained here is well represented in the sketch. It is simple and easy to understand without losing any important details for this scope of pattern. The diagram leaves little ambiguity about what the author of the text intended.
[edit] Less Good Visualization
Make legal provisions which allow people to keep any animals on their private lots or in private stables. Create a piece of fenced and protected common land, where animals are free to graze, with grass, trees, and water in it. Make at least one system of movement in the neighborhood which is entirely asphalt-free--where dung can fall freely without needing to be cleaned up.
[edit] Description
The text I have added in bold above the image is the pattern, as in the prior example. (In the book, the text wraps to two pages so I have added it inline here instead.) The sketch attempts to illustrate the pattern as written, showing the interaction between a community and its grazing land.
[edit] Deconstruction
As above, the data set in this visualization is very limited. It describes the author's opinions on where and how to organize grazing land for animals. The data is, thus, positions and sizes of areas of grass and fences (essentially arrays of integers). These data are encoded in the image via position and size along the X and Y axes. Hash marks indicate grassy areas while a solid line indicates a fence. Annotations indicate these differences.
[edit] Critique
This sketch is considerably less clear. The areas of the diagram are confusing, at best, and the labels do little to clear up the issue. Some physical parts of the pattern are not well represented in the sketch (water, trees, etc), while a particular pet peeve of mine crops up: the inclusion of an abstract concept (laws) in a concrete map of a layout. I also do not believe that this sketch includes enough contextual information to be really useful. What is this grazing area in the midst of?
[edit] Redesigned Visualization
[edit] Goals
My primary goals in this redesign were:
- Include more context around the area of interest in the sketch.
- Clarify the distinction between areas of interest
- Provide more detail about the areas of interest
- Maintain some of the sketching style of the original
[edit] Implementation
To address point #1, I've expanded the visible area in the sketch considerably. I've dealt with goal #2 by using intuitive color codings to delineate the grassy areas from the rest of the neighborhood, clarifying the content of the newly expanded areas. I've added details specified in the pattern, such as trees, water, and houses to satisfy goal #3. Finally, my poor mouse-drawing skills combined with fuzzy brush strokes and irregularly shaped symbols maintain the feeling of a sketch. I feel that the abstract concept of laws is best relegated to the pattern text, rather than the illustration.
[edit] Critique
I believe that this redesign addresses all of the complaints I had with the original sketch. It has, however, added considerable complexity to the illustration. As a matter of personal preference, I like this cluttered but accurate representation more than the simple but relatively uninformative original.
