Course Description
We are living in the midst of a data explosion: a sudden accumulation of huge volumes of data – much of it readily accessible online – describing our everyday world from global economic fluctuations to social networking trends and traffic patterns. But how does this raw data become narrative? What alchemy transforms data from information into meaning? And when data is collected and selected, what’s been omitted or erased? Data visualization typically is illustrative and utilitarian, but data can be unraveled and re-expressed, transformed into artworks. We will examine information design strategies and the visual language of the infographic as a starting point in creating our own data-based art works. We will experiment with approaches to data that are playful, reverent, poetic, subversive, and ultimately narrative. We will consider works by Alex Dragalescu, Christian Nold, Edward Tufte, Eric Rodebeck, and Chris Jordan. Students will learn basic programming skills in the open source language Processing, and work with data sets and APIs to generate dynamic programs, screen-based artworks, and digital prints.
Course Structure
Generally, the class will be split into three sections, we’ll take short breaks in between sections:
1) Lecture/Discussion: artworks, concepts and theory. Assignment review.
2) Technical: code concepts and examples.
3) Code workshop
NOTE: This is NOT a computer science class! It’s also not a graphic design class, and we will NOT be making traditional informational data visualizations. We’re going to try to make ART from data, integrating conceptual, narrative, and affective elements into our representations.
Throughout the term we will consider works by various artists and read and discuss texts on theory and practice. There will be weekly assignments to help you develop your ideas aesthetically and conceptually. Technically, we’ll start off SLOWLY, with the basics of coding in Processing. By the end of the term we will have covered variables, conditionals, arrays, objects and classes, timers, Strings and String functions as well as more advanced data structures, such as arraylists and hash maps. We’ll touch on using XML and RSS feeds and APIs to get data from the internet; we may even get to using sound, 3D, and text processing libraries in Processing.
Course Requirements
Weekly Assignments, both analog and in code. Readings. One midterm project (2 weeks), one final project (3-4 weeks).
Grading Breakdown
Class participation 30%
Homework: 40%
Midterm project: 10%
Final project: 20%
Attendance, Lateness, Attention, and Social Media Policy
Attendance to every class is required. If you have more than 2 absences, you will FAIL the class. Repeated lateness will accumulate into an absence. Late assignments will not be accepted. Please don’t text, chat, tweet, use facebook or email during class time. Do this during the breaks. Phones off and in bags. Please pay attention while your classmates are presenting their work; learning to listen carefully and talk intelligently about other people’s work will make YOUR work better, I promise.
Textbook
Learning Processing, by Daniel Shiffman. Order on Amazon ASAP.
Other Resources
Processing.org reference and forums and libraries
openprocessing.org
for later on: Java Docs at http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.4.2/docs/api/
And, as always: google.com
Class 1 Intro and Processing Basics
Content: Intro lecture, course structure, syllabus, wiki.
Code: Hello World! Tips for beginner coders: talking to computers, logic and syntax, tinkering and finding help.
Assignments:
Analog: Collect some data from a physical space you inhabit and show a pattern or relationship, OR show a database that somehow represents you.
Code: Download Processing to your own computer. Make four “screen drawings” using only 2D primitive shapes.
Reading: Hackers and Painters, Chapter 2, Paul Graham
In Learning Processing, read Chapters 1, 2, and 3.
Class 2/Sept 7 Visual Language and Graphic Design, Processing Basics 2
Content: ]Graphic design principles and visual language– rhythm, form, balance, color.
Code: Structure of a sketch, flow. Variables. Conditionals. Loops. Getting stuff moving with the draw loop! Fun with debugging.
Assignments:
Code: Two sketches, using variables, conditionals and loops. Think about visual language and design principles.
Readings: Data Visualization as New Abstraction and Anti-Sublime, Lev Manovich
Class 4 /Sept 22 Topic Exploration/Code Workshop
Idea Generation Process.
Functions and parameter passing; Intro to Objects. Writing Pseudocode
Code Workshop/Intensive
Assignments
Code: A rule set, implemented in code.
Research: Look for a data set or source that matches your interest.
Class 5/Sept 29 Time as Data.
Tracking/Mapping time. More with Objects. Our first data structure: the mighty Array! Declaring, initializing, accessing elements in an array.
Assignments
Analog: Collect data that deals with the passage of time; create some way to document/display this data.
Code: Experiment with Arrays and objects.
Class 6/Oct 6 Data in Space1.
Lecture: Projects that deal with spatial information
LoadStrings(). Some string functions, intro to XML.
Assignments
Analog: Map data about your living space, in analog, x3.
Code: display/communicate a data set that deals with the passage of time, in Processing
Class 7/Oct 13 Data in Space2
Lecture: More on spatial information, maps and mapping.
More XML feeds; Google Maps and Flickr, crash course in 3D
Assignments
Code: Display/communicate a data set that deals with the space, in Processing
Research: explore available XML feeds
Class 8/Oct 20 Processing Text
Lecture: Text-based projects.
Working with an XML feed, manipulating Strings.
Assignments
Analog: Visualize a text. Experiment with new materials.
Code: Experiment with an XML feed
Class 9/Oct 27 Data Visualization
Lecture: Data visualization conventions/concepts
Ben Fry’s integrator class. Code Workshop/Intensive.
Assignment
Final Project proposal; one page write-up. Make a moodboard for your project, start working!
Class 10/Nov 3 Final project proposals and discussion.
Look at artworks TBA for “reading exercise,” review visual language concepts.
Code Topics TBA
Assignment
Work on Final Project
No Class Nov 10 – Plan Day
Class 11/Nov 17 Guest Lecture
Lecture: Uta Hinrichs, Innovations in Visualization Laboratory, UC Calgary.
Final Project check-ins– progress and critique.
Code Topics as requested
Assignment
Work on Final Project
Class 12/December 1st Final Project Workshop
Individual Meetings, Code triage Assignment
Work on Final Project
Class 13/Last Class!
Final Project Presentations. Snacks!