KonzeptioNerd

see #3 conference

Visualize Information

Third see conference in Wiesbaden, yesterday. Cool location Caligari FilmBühne), relaxed atmosphere, nice conference.
The see series focuses on the visualization of information and the organizers, web design agency Scholz & Volkmer, managed a lineup of resounding names, engaging speakers:

• Dr. Fritz Reusswig, Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung
• Frank van Ham, IBM Visual Communication Lab, Cambridge
• Ben Fry, Designer, Cambridge
• Julien De Smedt, JDS Architects, Copenhagen
• Zachary Lieberman, Performance Artist, New York and
• Bruce Sterling, SciFi author, Turin

But, as always, I kind of missed the meta level.

F***k Metatext

Not counting the animated trailer that ran during break times, we saw six more or, in one instance, less heavily visualized presentations, ranging from rather dryly scientific to visionary to, in one instance, literally hand-drawn. Reusswig, van Ham, Fry, De Smedt and Lieberman all showed examples from their work, the latter three zapping through their portfolio, van Ham clicking through his online application, the many eyes project, and Reusswig giving an acutal presentation on climate change without really touching visualization too much.

Designer Fry was the only one to touch the Why’s and How’s of information-visualization at all, though briefly. Fry remarked on the dryness of the sort of data visualization most researchers practice. Indeed, Reusswig’s and de Ham’s presentations reminded everyone that data visualization is indeed a highly codified shop language. His own aim, Fry said, was to use visualization not only for data exploration but for communication as well.

What was missing

What I would have liked to learn:

• How to visualize cultural change in order to bring about a change in our dealing with climate change. And why visualize instead of, I suppose, verbalize. Reusswig’s own presentation certainly made a point for verbalization, as most of his graphs didn’t speak to the layperson without extensive explanation.
• Which are the most popular graphs in many eyes? Who’s using this tool and do data specialists prefer more arcane graphs than laypersons?
• What’s the role of visualization in architecture, what types of visualizations work best at selling a project? Why are buildings always shown from vantage points that few people will ever be able to take? Why don’t we get to see architectural projects from a 1,7 m level or from across the street? Fry showed a collage of Zara Hadid, ski-flying, made a pro pos of lengthy negotiations about his Belgian-Dutch studio building a ski-jump in Norway. Did this collage feature in the negotiations? Was taking the discussion down a notch with this humorous piece a strategic move? What’s the position of humour and irony in data or information visualization?

But then, getting the audience to ask (themselves) questions is what conferences are there for.

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