dataplay: sports game data collection and visualization [information design analysis]

LIZ RUTLEDGEINFORMATION DESIGNSPRING 2012PARSONS MFA DESIGN + TECHNOLOGY 03/28/2012

dataPlayGAME DATA COLLECTION + VISUALIZATION DESIGNED FOR THE NON-PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE

AN ECOSYSTEM OF STATISTICS TRACKING TOOLS THAT ARE TAILORED TO LACROSSE BUILT ON A SYSTEM THAT COULD BE USED FOR COUNTLESS OTHER SPORTS

recreational/student/youth athletes + data =

dataPlay

There is a growing gap between the rapidly expanding field of data visualization and sports statistics tracking at the non-professional level.

WHY:

I seek to bridge this gap by creating an ecosystem of easy to use, cloud-based tools for real-time mobile statistics collection and visualization.

WHAT:

1) to facilitate and encourage the collection of data

2) to enable deeper comprehension of the data through visual exploration

3) to enhance traditional game statistics by tagging each piece of data with the location and time at which it was recorded.

PURPOSE:

This will allow for both immediate data analysis and the preservation of spatiotemporal relationships between events—without the steep learning curve or prohibitive costs of professional-grade tools.

SO WHAT?

One possible implementation of this system: an iPad app tailored to the needs of lacrosse.

THE PROJECT:

Through a case study focused on several youth lacrosse teams in New York and the Bay Area, my project will demonstrate how the thoughtful reconfiguration of existing technologies can empower a wider sports community by helping them transform data into knowledge.

HOW & WHY:

RESEARCHINFORMATION DESIGN + VISUAL THINKING

RESEARCH“Picturing the Concepts: An Interactive Teaching Strategy”— Thinking Classroom

“The Influence of Information Presentation Formats on Complex Task Decision-Making Performance”— International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

“Cognitive Models of the Influence of Color Scale on Data Visualization Tasks”— Human Factors

“The Eyes Have It: A Task by Data Type Taxonomy for Information Visualizations”— Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory and Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland

VISION AND COGNITION

CURRENT SYSTEMTHE PAPER SCORE BOOK

current data tracking is either WAY too simple... ...or incredibly cramped and complicated.

current data tracking is either WAY too simple... ...or incredibly cramped and complicated.

GROUPED IN COLUMNS BUT NO HIERARCHY TO HELP LOCATE THE RIGHT STAT

space to hand-write in 25 players—most teams only have between 16-20 players on the roster (wasted space!)

when someone scores, you need to find their name, find the goals column, tick off a goal, note the time on the game clock, write down the time, then record the goal AGAIN down at the bottom....UGH.

COMPONENT 1.0DIGITAL GAME DATA COLLECTION

easy counter buttons increment using Javascript

goals appear wherever you click the mouse to indicate field position using Javascript. Future functionality will including dragging from the goal location to indicate an assist and its location.

all stats will be tied to game clock to enable time-accurate playback after the game is complete

NO GROUPING OF STATS—JUST A ROW

STATISTICS GROUPED BY OFFENSE AND DEFENSE TO ALLOW MENTAL CHUNKING OF ITEMS

NO VISUAL CUES: STILL HAVE TO READ LABELS TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE PRESSING

STATISTICS GROUPED BY OFFENSE AND DEFENSE TO ALLOW MENTAL CHUNKING OF ITEMS

BUT:

SIMPLIFIED TO DRAG & DROP INTERFACE USING ICONS FOR

IMMEDIATE VISUAL RECOGNITION

FIREHAWKS COYOTESvs.

FORCED TURNOVER

DRAW CONTROLGOALIE SAVE

MISSED GOAL

ASSISTED GOAL

SHOT ATTEMPTS

OUT OF BOUNDS

FOUL

CALLS

GROUND BALL

POSSESSION

INTERCEPTION

DEFENSE

MISSED PASS

COMPLETED PASS

PASSES

0 30 4

FIRST HALF

SIMPLIFIED TO DRAG & DROP INTERFACE USING ICONS FOR

IMMEDIATE VISUAL RECOGNITION

ICONS GROUPED INTO UMBRELLA GROUPS TO SIMPLIFY VISUAL LANGUAGE/AVOID INFORMATION OVERLOAD

IF AN “UMBRELLA” STATISTIC GROUP IS SELECTED, REVEALS A SECOND LAYER OF INFORMATION

(BUT ONLY IF RELEVANT TO YOU)

COMPONENT 2.0GAME DATA VISUALIZATION + MANIPULATION

ORIGINAL DESIGN OF VISUALIZATION INTERFACE:HIERARCHY IS WRONG! FIELD AND SCORE ARE MOST IMPORTANT, NOT CONFUSING LINE GRAPH OF GOALS

REUSEABLE ASPECT:USING VISUAL FAMILIARITY OF SCOREBOARD AND CLOCK TO MAKE INFORMATION EASIER TO DIGEST QUICKLY

#FAILCLEVELAND’S TASK MODEL

INCREDIBLY CONFUSING!

VISUALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT STATISTICS

#FAILCLEVELAND’S TASK MODEL

INCREDIBLY CONFUSING!

VISUALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT STATISTICS

INTENSE COLOR ON BAR CHARTS MAKES THEM APPEAR MOST IMPORTANT

(WHEREASE THE FIELD AND CLOCK HAVE MOST IMPORTANCE)

#FAILCLEVELAND’S TASK MODEL

BREAKING VISUAL LANGUAGE OF BAR CHARTS WITH LINE CHART—NEED TO BE

CONSISTENT TO TRAIN THE VIEWER

UTTERLY UN-SCANNABLE #FAILCLEVELAND’S TASK MODEL

INCREDIBLY CONFUSING!

VISUALLY THERE IS NO DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT STATISTICS

INTENSE COLOR ON BAR CHARTS MAKES THEM APPEAR MOST IMPORTANT

(WHEREASE THE FIELD AND CLOCK HAVE MOST IMPORTANCE)

THE NEW VISUALIZATION DASHBOARD FIELD GIVEN THE

SIZE AND SPACE IT DESERVES FOR A

LOCATION-INCLUSIVE VISUALIZATION

INTERFACE

THE NEW VISUALIZATION DASHBOARD

LESS SPACE DEDICATED TO BAR CHARTS BUT WITH ADDED VISUAL AIDS (ICONS)

FIELD GIVEN THE SIZE AND SPACE IT

DESERVES FOR A LOCATION-INCLUSIVE

VISUALIZATION INTERFACE

LESS SPACE DEDICATED TO BAR CHARTS BUT WITH ADDED VISUAL AIDS (ICONS)

LESS SPACE USED BUT CLEARER DUE TO

CONSISTER BAR CHART LANGUAGE

FIELD GIVEN THE SIZE AND SPACE IT

DESERVES FOR A LOCATION-INCLUSIVE

VISUALIZATION INTERFACE

THE NEW VISUALIZATION DASHBOARD

THANKYOU!