1 Envisioning Information by Edward R. Tufte Color and Information Critiqued by Mani Golparvar-Fard [~mgolpar2] This work elaborates on color features and their importance in human-computer interaction. It first classifies colors in three spaces. First space is defined to be hue, saturation and value. The second is the spatial-perceptual classification of red-blue and green, the obvious components or color channels. As well as cyan, magenta and yellow which are the major components in subtractive methods which are used for printing inks. As seen variety of the color could exist, but always each color could be defined based on one of these three-dimensional spaces. So the question that has been posed in this work is can color on its own, represent multi-dimensional information and if so, will the viewer be able to explain the differences and understand the information? One of the main examples that is provided in this case was using colors for video display terminals. Since at the time this paper was written, computers and especially graphic cards were very basic compared to their recent counterparts, working with low-resolution devices as such have been very challenging. Communications between humans on one side and computer at the other side has been limited to the passing through the low-resolution, narrow-band video display terminal, which by itself limits the communication through problems in handing complex and precise communications at a fast rate. In such a situation, certainly the application of color cues could become very handy. In another example data points are spread over a flat surface and then each point is light up by color components (red, green and blue) with respect to the proportion to values that are taken through three different values. In a very interesting example the flat screen is divided to 5x5 cells where in each cell carries points with different colors. This way of presenting in my opinion could be very effective. Especially when the limitation of the graphic card and visual interactions comes to mind, one can see the major value color-coding can bring to the table. Obviously another example where such cue can be useful will be application on user interfaces. In my opinion coming up with metaphors based on known color coding schemes can also be helpful (e.g., traffic light metaphor). Also combining the color gradient and transparency adds two independent axes to the color which could make it more attractive for visualization of multi-variable parameters.2 From the Book Visual Explanations by Edward R. Tufte Humphry Repton's Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton (London, 1808), pp.40-41, detail, redrawn. Critiqued by Mani Golparvar-Fard [~mgolpar2] Repton’s work represents his expertise in using shifts in scaling in an image for over-exaggerating the impact of improvement proposals within before and after comparison contexts. One of the most interesting features in using the scale as the basis for this comparison is that the ingenuity of the work is compromised by persistent visual cheating. The concept of using pole-people in scaling recession in landscapes is certainly interesting in this area of work. Though in my opinion being a construction management practitioner it is a necessity to communicate size and scale to the audience of such visualization. Of course a perspective drawing carries an inherent ambiguity with respect to the objects that are appearing in the background. Thus using a cue such as the pole-person in the deep background helps to understand the depth easily. Another interesting aspect of the before-after comparison shown in this work is the application of certain impressions in reflecting the change. For example in this work, the pavilion appears to be hidden, isolated and distant in the before scenario, while in the after scenario, it has been redesigned and now it shows the distance between the space and the pavilion as an intimate and comfortable space, filled with visitors that are way exaggerated in their scales compared to the pole-persons in the before scene. Nonetheless even the garden and patio in the before and after scenes have changed which intensifies the comparison effect. The overlaid text in the before application is also very interestingly chosen and is used since for example in one case it says that the building was totally hidden by trees but now some of those trees are removed. In another case, the overlaid text helps to explain the perspective. This case text was used to represent different avenues in the visual since the perspective in that part of the image is not reflected by the pole-persons. In these cases, certainly having a text helps. This concept can be well extended by creating mouse over action and having textual information pop up over a visual representation. This somewhat will bring information to the audience of the visual on the fly while making them available only by request.3 Theory of Data Graphics by Edward R. Tufte Application of small multiples on the videotape by Gregory J. McRae, California Institute of Technology. Critiqued by Mani Golparvar-Fard [~mgolpar2] In this visualization, a second-generation mathematical model is implemented and developed for monitoring of urban air pollution. This work has been done in 1982, where and when application of small multiples resembled the frames of a movie. A series of graphics where used to show same or different combinations of variable as well as indexing those variables by their changes. In this example, average distribution of Co2 emissions is shown in an hourly average basis. Within a constant graphical representation of the area under study, the area and its design remain constant while the attention could be fully pulled towards the shift in the data. Due to the strength of this visually appealing system, currently such visualization has become quite popular and dominant. In the case of Geographical Information System, this methodology is certainly the most dominant technique for
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