Formality in Sketches and Visual Representation Alan Blackwell, University of Cambridge Luke Church,...

Formality in Sketches and Visual Representation

Alan Blackwell, University of Cambridge

Luke Church, University of Cambridge

Beryl Plimmer, Auckland University

Dave Gray, XPLANE

Kinds of Formality

• i) Formal Intention

• ii) Formal Connotation

• iii) Formal Description

• iv) Formal Interpretation

i) Formal Intention

• a clear formulation of objectives

ii) Formal Connotation

• professional or conservative appearance

iii) Formal Description

• representation elements are clearly differentiated – from other classes of element– from other parts of the representation (bounded and separate) – from alternatives that might have been chosen but are not

• “elements” not just visual symbols, but relations:– arrangement in the plane– topological relations– grouped graphical attributes

iv) Formal Interpretation

• Rules: things a reader should do differently in response to differences in the representation

• the “reader” may be a machine

• human readers may interpret using different rules …

• including rules the creator didn’t intend

Sketches and Computation

• visual representations that are created or captured by computers tend toward formality.

• computers follow interpretative rules

• business and scientific visual styles have formal connotations

• user interfaces need predictable correspondences

Problems

• Are some kinds of human endeavour not supported by computer processing of visual representations, because inappropriately formalised?

• Above kinds of formalisation are conflated …

• … so freedom of intention is restricted:– as a result of representational choices – as a result of technical implementations– as a result of unnecessary connotations

Some Productive Research Approaches

• Studies of designers

• Studies of pencil use – (or other traditional drawing tools)

• Studies of ‘finishedness’ in graphic communication

• Studies of ‘ideation’

• Philosophy of art

• Sociology of knowledge

Case Studies

Describes a process(transcription)

Lower case + Italics=> Gene

Gene -> Protein (Expression)mRNA step omitted, either doesn’t matter or not known

’, but not after a number => Variant

Has a negative effect on whatever RsmA ‘normally does’

This is what happens after the complex is formed

Two separate genes

Capital => Protein

Discussion?