Introduction

MDST 3559: DataestheticsProf. Alvarado

1/20/20

What is “dataesthetics”?

Or, what does data have to do with aesthetics?

Definitions

• Aesthetics– Concerned with beauty, taste, and perception.– Branch of philosophy contrasted with Logic.– “De gustibus non est disputandum.”

• Data– Discrete items of information.– Organized into regular structures.– Usually serves as the basis of Logic (reason and

evidence.)

There is a logic to art and an art to logic

Flagellation, Piero della Francesca, c. 1448-49

Demonstration of internal light source in Flagellation by Piero della Francesca

Art and logic merge in the concept of DESIGN

Logic : Art :: Part : Whole

• helps

Design pertains to representation

Dataesthetics is about digital representation

What is digital representation?

Digital Representation

• “The use of discrete impulses or quantities arranged in coded patterns to represent variables or other data in the form of numbers or characters.”– i.e. Mapping of an object onto numbers and patterns

• Examples:– Color as RGB– Space, time ...– But can be done with almost anything

The Shape of Song

http://www.turbulence.org/Works/song/method/method.html

Madonna, “Like a Prayer”

Bach’s Goldberg Variations

These examples work the same way

The object is mapped to a set of data and then transformed by algorithms

The goal of this course is to learn how to map domains into data sets—texts, images, beliefs,

etc.

So they can be manipulated and visualized

Examples

Visualizing the Bible

http://www.science-metrix.com/OntologyExplorer/#

“I'm looking forward to you interpretations.”

Playfair's parallel time-series bar chart of prices of wheat, wages and monarchs over 250+ years. (Source: Playfair, Letters on our agricultural distresses...; Tufte, p. 34)

Other examples

• http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_reveals_new_insights_on_poverty.html

• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_70Gw2abmBeI/TQ0sv2Fs6vI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/yu67k0UWCGc/s1600/AHMap.jpeg

• http://www.visualcomplexity.com/vc/• http://infosthetics.com/

Dimensions of Contrast

• Hand-made vs. auto-generated• The use of space to signify dimensions• Use of colors, shapes, etc.• Interpretability• Levels: data models vs. data “reports”

Focus

• Abstract representations (graphs, trees, networks, user interfaces, etc.)

• Tools:– PHP, CSV, MySQL, HTML, GraphViz, other network

display and analysis tools

In this course

• You will learn how to acquire and extract data from different kind of sources– Of interest to the humanities and social sciences

• You will learn how to use basic tools to express these data visually and interactively

• You will acquire a vocabulary with which to express and frame your design decision

Resources

• WordPress site is accessible from UVaCollab– Readings for Tuesday will be posted today

• Download and install jEdit• Enable Home Directory Service – See http://itc.virginia.edu/homedir/

• Unix accounts will be created on STUDIO1