Advanced Topics in Visualization with a Focus on Biomimetic Visualization

CPSC 701.07, Winter 2016

This course will go beyond the visualization basics and fundamentals. As global interest in visualization expands exciting new research is emerging in many facets of visualization. One of these new directions draws from the incredible successes in engineering, where improvements in many directions including form, and functionality are resulting from leveraging the examples from biology. This has become known as biomimicry. Multiple examples of biomimicry can be found in Zygote Quarterly. The core of this course will focus on the idea of making use of a biomimetic approach in visualization. This will be set in examples of advanced visualization topics from a board range of visualization applications.

Lecture: W 16:00-18:45 in MS680A

Office Hours: TBA

Prerequisites:

While we have not required a prerequisite a previous course(s) in visualization would be beneficial and other previous courses such as HCI, graphics, database, software engineering, etc. can also provide a good background.

Although there is no specific programming language to know, knowledge in Processing will be helpful. However, programming is not necessary as we are equivalently interested in data physicalization.

Grading:

In determining the overall grade in the course the following weights will be used:

20% - In class activities
20% - Class Participation
60% - Course Project

This course will not have a Registrar’s Scheduled Final Exam.

Schedule:

Topic	Learning Activity
Week 1 - Jan 13
Introduction to the course and the concept of biomimicry as applied to visualization	Combination of lectures and hands on activities leading to project formulation
Week 2 - Jan 20
Using semiotics as a generative approach that can be integrated with biominicry	Combination of lectures and hands on activities leading to an understanding of exploring a visualization design space
Week 3 - Jan 27
Project proposal	Student presentations, discussions and critique.
Week 4 - Feb 3
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 5 - Feb 10
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 6 - Feb 24
Project progress	Student presentations, discussions and critique.
Week 7 - Mar 2
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 8 - Mar 9
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 9 - Mar 16
Project progress	Student presentations, discussions and critique.
Week 10 - Mar 23
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 11 - Mar 30
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 12 - Apr 6
Special topics	Lecture plus discussion
Week 13 - Apr 13
Final Project: due	Final project presentation

Special topics could include, but are not limited to:

Scientific Visualization
Visualization as applied in ubicomp
Visualization and interaction
Visualization for kinesiology
Visualization in digital humanities
Visualization and smart cities
Visualization and cartography
Visual analytics
Biological visualization
Chemical visualization
Visualization and software engineering
Visualization and statistics
Visualization and haptics
Evaluation in visualization
Personal visualization
Visualization and ecology
Visualization and behavioral change

Online resources:

Data sources:

Interesting bio-inspired design websites
Database of dataset
Countries/states dataset
Environmental / sustainability dataset
Governmental open data
Sports dataset
Security dataset
- Network Intrusion Data
Health dataset
- World Health Indicators
- CDC's National Center for Health Statistics Data Access
Volumetric dataset
Other dataset

Interesting websites to find collections of visualizations and infographics:

Interesting Infovis related blogs:

Resources for coding visualizations:

Some tools to visualize your data: