Information Visualizatio

n: A Theoretic

Survey

Information Visualization is…?

History

Up to the 17th century: Maps & diagrams● Positions of stars● Maritime maps● 1350 - Bar graphs

1600 to 1699: Measurements & theories● Time, distance and

space● Estimation,

probability, demography

● Statistics● Elements of “visual

thinking”

1700 to 1799: New graphics forms● More than

geographical position● Map geology,

economics, demography and health data

● More forms● Color, lithography and

press

1800 to 1849: Beginning of modern infographics● Statistical graphics● Thematic mapping● Cartography - simpler

maps transformed to complex atlases

1850 to 1900: Golden Age of data graphics● Social, industrial and

transportation planning

● Making sense of greater variety of data

1900 to 1949: Modern Dark Ages● Growth in

quantification and formal models

● Popularized in Govt., Commerce and Science

1950 to 1974: Re-birth of visualization● Graphical analyses of

data● Semilogie Graphique -

organizing vision and perception of graphical elements

● Computers

1975 - present: The computer as a new frontier● Software and

hardware systems● Highly interactive and

easy to use● Data manipulation,

graphic techniques, multidimensional visualization

Information Visualization is…?

Theoretical Foundations

Linguistic TheoryLanguage as representation (of meaning)● Lexical tokens● Semiotic theory of

Ferdinand de Saussure○ Referrer - Referent

Language as process● Dynamic

interpretation & negotiation

● Interaction theory of Bhaktin

Foundational concepts● Interpretation of a visualization through its

external physical form● Exploration and manipulation of the

external representation by the reader so as to discover more about the underlying model

● Exploration and manipulation of the internal data model by the system in order to discover interrelationships, trends and patterns, so as to enable them to be represented appropriately

Frameworks

Predictive Data-centric

Predictive Data-centric (Natalia Andrienko)● Data characterization framework

○ Characteristic component / attribute○ Referential component / referrer○ Characteristic set○ Reference set○ Multidimensional dataset

● Patterns○ Archetypes

Predictive Data-centric (Natalia Andrienko)

Information Communication

Information Communication (Matthew Ward)● Visual Communication

○ What is “Information”?■ Thomas Schneider (Research Biologist) -

“...measure of the decrease of uncertainty at a receiver”

■ Colin Cherry (Information Theorist) stated “Information can only be received where there is doubt; and doubt implies the existence of alternatives where choice, selection, or discrimination is called for”

● Measuring information○ Amount○ Loss

● Bandwidth

Information Communication (Matthew Ward)● Content

○ Selective○ Descriptive○ Semantic

● Measuring content vs measuring loss● Hardware and perceptual limitations

○ Channel (display)○ Receiver (human visual perception

system)

Scientific Modeling

Scientific Modeling (T.J. Jankun-Kelly)

● “...programs focus on visualization techniques (the engineering core) in detriment to the foundational aspects (the scientific core)”

● Exploration model (user’s interaction)

● Transform design model (depiction + construction)

Scientific Modeling (T.J. Jankun-Kelly)

Future

“The Future of Data Visualization”Jeffrey Heer (Strata + Hadoop 2015)

Information Visualization is…

References1. Kanno, Mario. Milestones in the History of Data Visualization. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. <

http://www.math.yorku.ca/SCS/Gallery/milestone/Vi>.2. Purchase, Helen C., Natalia Andrienko, T. J. Jankun-Kelly, and Matthew Ward. "Theoretical

Foundations of Information Visualization." Chapter 3 Theoretical Foundations of Information Visualization (2008): n. pag. Web.

3. Heer, Jeffrey. ""The Future of Data Visualization"" YouTube. YouTube, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 26 Sept. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc1bq0qIKoA>.

4. "Information Visualization." - InfoVis:Wiki. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. <http://www.infovis-wiki.net/index.php/Information_Visualization#Definitions>.

5. Hoffman, Michael M., Orion J. Buske, Jie Wang, Zhiping Weng, Jeff A. Bilmes, and William Stafford Noble. "Unsupervised Pattern Discovery in Human Chromatin Structure through Genomic Segmentation." Nature Methods Nat Meth 9.5 (2012): 473-76. Web.