CS295J/Theory of Visualization outline

there are different kinds of models, but permit me to be somewhatinformal here.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A USEFUL THEORY OR MODEL

• explains observations
• simplifies -- doesn't just repeat observations
• predicts future observations

theories of physics

• started with lots of observations of the world
• created models/theories to simplify/predict them

• Newtonian
• relativistic
• quantum
• maybe string theory

we'll start a visualization theory with observations about visualization methods

• we observe how useful they are
• [VAST keynote speaker said: for vis tools, utility is speed of doing something.
• how quickly they can be used
• create models/theories to simplify/predict human
  • speed/accuracy using it for important tasks

u(v,j)

• u tells us how good a visualization method is for a task
• space of all possible visualization methods
  • and all possible tasks
• we just have to figure out how to calculate it

oh, and ``visualization method

• all possible interactions
• all possible display setups

this is very meta-level

• but it gives us a starting point
• at least for a thought experiment

We actually have some ingredients

some visualization methods; range from

• often used to
• invented but not used
• they give us some sense of the shape of the space of visualization methods

some jobs or tasks; they range from

• the abstract ``analyze data
• to ``count the critical points in this picture of a 2D vector field

some acquired data or observations about these visualization methods and tasks

• these data range from
  • unrecorded experiences and intuition
  • through recorded anecdotal data
  • to quantitative user study results

• these data are effectively point samples of u
• some can perhaps be generalized
• but we're not quite done yet

some models/theories of interaction tell us how we might calculate sub-parts of u*

• Fitt's Law
• Steering Law

• predictions of how parameterized interaction techniques work
  • how accurate/fast will people be

a pretty good understanding of visual perception

• models of low-level vision: center/surround of photo receptors
• models of cue integration: how we couple and transition among
  • the handful of different depth cues, for example
• models of higher-level vision: sensory cues used for navigation

• related to visualization and interaction, but aimed at how people make sense of their senses, not how vis techniques work
  • [sounds subtle, but for now it's a significant difference]

theories of cognition

• e.g. visual working memory
• e.g. verbal working memory

finally, visual design, product design, art

• best practices
• tailored over centuries
• experience that is taught through doing
• and that very much incorporates evaluation