Welcome to Sequential Visualization.
My name is Sean Cohen
Something of an outline :
Here is a VERY rough outline of the course. Outline.I reserve the right to change it completely at any time because I don't know you guys well enough to pretend I should know what to do with you. That will change, bear with me.
Office hours:
I am available for an hour before class upon request and can schedule meetings at my office downtown.Contact Info:
sean.r.cohen at gmail.com is a great way to reach me.You can also try my cell at 410 493 7324, but I seldom pick up for numbers I don't recognize.
Assignments:
Class 14 - we will meet at the Walters Art gallery to see the MAPs exhibit (attendance is not required)
Class 13
Class 12
Class 11
Class 10
Class 9
Class 8
Class 7
Class 6
Class 5
Class 4
Class 3
Class 2
Class 1
Course Requirements and Policies
Students are expected to attend every scheduled class, complete the reading assignments, and participate actively in discussion. A statement of general academic policies appears on Nancy Kaplan's Web site. That statement is an extension of this document. See http://iat.ubalt.edu/kaplan/policies.htm. Please also read the University's policies in the Online Policy Guide.
Important Notice for Spring 2008
Because she will be on a medical leave of absence until mid-March, 2008, Professor Kaplan will not be teaching this course as scheduled in Spring 2008. Sean Cohen, Multimedia Director at idfive (a Baltimore-based Web communications firm), will be doing the honors.
Stay tuned to this Web page for updates on books and syllabus as well as contact information for Mr. Cohen. Information and a link to the real course Web site will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.
Course Overview
The world is complex, dynamic and multidimensional. How do we convey ideas, concepts and visions? Words and data alone are inadequate. To quote Edward Tufte, "To envision information—and what bright and splendid visions can result—is to work at the intersection of image, word, number and art...it is cognitive art." Mistakenly, many people see visualization as reductionism or simplification. It is not. Information visualization is about using representations—charts, diagrams, story boards, prototypes and simulations—to make the complex known and understandable and to bring clarity to problem solving and decision-making.
This course teaches students to present visual information as a tool for developing and evaluating information systems and as a fundamental part of computer interfaces. The course draws on theoretical approaches to various forms of visual explanation, including information graphics, iconic representations, and modeling notation and diagramming techniques. Having laid the groundwork in traditional, linear forms and media, it advances into interactive and "emergent" media such as computer software and digital simulations. Through a series of practical projects students learn to apply visualization techniques to interface design, to the software and website design process, and to content development.
Course Objectives
| Conceptual | Practical |
|---|---|
| Understand an array of techniques to capture complexity; articulate narrative through time and space; plot data to express pattern and relationships; emphasize appropriate detail; and eliminate clutter and confusion from data. | Build expertise in analyzing and structuring large data sets into a meaningful visual display to make an argument graphically. |
| Probe the intersection of images, words, and data in information graphics, especially as they apply to complex problems and systems. | Build expertise in mapping visually complex websites and web applications. |
| Use sequential visualization to support development of simulations and emergent systems. | Develop strategies for presenting information in multiple or emergent sequences (process flows, information relationships, and human-computer interaction). |
Required Texts:
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. ISBN 978-1563895579
Other texts TBA