| Description |
One of the most striking and unique aspects about this moment in human history is the amount of data we are generating. This data holds the promise of unlocking the mysteries of the universe, untangling complex natural and man-made systems, and allowing us to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. But generating data is only the first step - developing methods to make sense of vast collections of information is now widely considered the major challenge. A key component of addressing this challenge is visualization, which supports sense making by representing data as pictures and supporting exploration through human-computer interactions. Through the design of intuitive representations of data, visualization designers arc able to harness our perceptual system for quickly finding interesting patterns and trends in a sea of data, instead of relying on our more limited memory and cognition. Creating effective visualizations, however, relies on a combination of knowledge about computer science, design, application domains, and how people internalize the meaning of data. This talk discusses what we know about how to design effective, interactive visualizations, as well as some of the open challenges left to solve. It will also provide examples of how scientists use these tools to glean insight from complex data. |
