Be the Light

The thesis project is about exploring the diversity of geo-visualization displays in terms of data physicalization. The choice of information/presentation/medium that designers made can be tightly connected to geographic maps and personal information delivery. Along with the explosion in information and new technology, we become accustomed to these digital products that make our lives easier and faster. When exploring daily updates, information, news in terms of the digital screen, I realized that the information around us is ignored. Our environment is full of information as well as cyberspace. So, I further studied the relationship between geo-visualization and their relative transformations, such as digital maps or map physicalizations, and I concluded that though in an information explosive time, the public desired integrating datasets with personal emotions. This thesis demonstrates the necessity of further study on geo-visualization data physicalization to arouse the public's empathy, evaluate the significance of data physicalization and enrich geo-visualization diversity.

Designer	Yuke Li
Keywords	Data Physicalization, Geographic visualization, Tangible information, Design of COVID-19
Advisor	Dietmar Offenhuber

Experiments - The story behind my design

What do we see when we see maps

Map-driven visualizations of a disaster are helpful for the public to gain information in an understandable way that does not mislead them. When geo-visualizations are used for something other than decision-making or problem-solving, we need to be more careful while designing the geo-map for expressing the designer’s ideas. Although presenting digital interactive geo-visualizations with strong visual impact is eye-catching, designers still need to find the best medium to share their thoughts and ideas as visual graphs are designed for transforming ambiguous numbers into understandable images. Although presenting digital interactive geo-visualizations with strong visual impact is eye-catching, designers still need to find the best medium to share their thoughts and ideas as visual graphs are designed for transforming ambiguous numbers into understandable images.

What is the GAP

The gap can be the disconnect between human and information, the distortion between graphics and visual perception, the unseen distance between the cyber world and the physical world, etc. How can my design help bridging the gap? Where is my destination for this thesis exploration mission?

1. For the redundant and repetitive online map visualization of the pandemic, I hope my design could avoid having overlapped information and provide different insights and perspectives of information design and data visualization in COVID-19.
2. It is undeniable that in the era of information explosion, we cannot control the external information astonishingly increasing, but we can selectively simplify the selection and the expression of information and give a satirical and commemorative concept to the dataset and information.
3. My design conveys the subjectivity of information cognition in terms of medium choice. I hope to inform my audience that the dissemination of information or design sometimes brings different interpretations. Design thinking is significant and needed either in expressing methods or perceiving information.

Be the Light

How do people perceive information and express the deliveries after their brain and cognitions translate the information in different circumstances? The area where I want to explore and develop is in between humans and information. Nevertheless, the place could be slightly different before/after or during a pandemic. From my observation, people usually receive information whether consciously or unconsciously from everywhere, including natural sources, like wind power, the sunlight, tree rings, etc; unnatural sources, like digital computation, algorithm, domain reports, etc. In the pandemic, the display of a large portion of natural resources decreased while the unnatural dramatically increased.

My experiments at the current stage are mainly focusing on how to utilize different layers of maps and by deconstructing each information to translate to physical patterns. In the digital sundial work by Mojoptix, he invented a digital sundial based on the shadow that is created by the sunlight. Using the sunlit dots projected on the ground and create a digital sundial.

To be Continued

2020 is an “extraordinary” year. When people were trapped at home because of COVID-19 every small case became sensitive. We were used to getting information online through social media or other platforms, we were used to communicating with others when we encountered them on the street. We talked about our daily lives and shared our humble opinions. But, when a disaster attacked us, everything changed. Our normal lives are like a peaceful ocean while the horrible disaster is the rock suddenly thrown into the center of the ocean. The sea ripples; Our lives are changing. What can my thesis design bring to this world? More can be expected on Dec, 2021. Thank you for your time and kindness to get to know my project :)