BLOG by zaiss

What makes a compelling visualization?

When the topic of information visualization gets brought up, my mind usually wanders to Edward Tufte. Then I might think a bit about the Conceptual Models course from CMU, remembering that fun visualization we made about the course registration process.

I think whether a visualization is enjoyable or aesthetically pleasing is a matter of taste. For example, I tend to not be a very big fan of text-based models (like the Java technology concept map), while most of my peers seem to think they’re pretty great. However, when it comes to the effectiveness of a visualization, it comes down to whether or not it saves time in learning the information it’s trying to convey.

That’s why when I saw this rehash of a common clock, I was a little skeptical.

Sure, there’s always room for improvement in any design, and analog clocks are no exception. But using a dot for each second in the day doesn’t seem the right way to do it; or, if it is, then the layout is ruining the visualization. The grouping of the dots in this clock don’t correspond to any unit of time that we’re familiar with (minutes or hours), instead, a small square is 1 minute and 40 seconds, and a big square is 2 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. Meanwhile, units of time that we’re used to (hours and minutes) are awkward subsections of squares. The number of seconds in a day isn’t a perfect square… so it doesn’t seem like a perfect square is representing that number well.

That said, it’s an interesting concept to communicate a commonplace idea. Similar to the binary clock, it can be an art piece as well as a time piece. And when people come over to my apartment, they will give it a funny look and, after a minute, ask what the hell is on top of my TV. Nonchalantly, I would say that it’s a clock, and let them stare for a while longer.

If you’ve been following the next-gen console sales, you’re probably aware that the PS3 isn’t doing so well. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but this ad that made it to Digg today doesn’t seem to be helping Sony’s cause much.

But what do I know about marketing. I guess if the game ads aren’t working, something different is in order.

Out of Jakob Nielsen’s 10 usability heuristics, it’s number 1. A point that I’ve used countless times to developers and managers to encourage better design of products. Yet when it comes to a product I use everyday (and so do you), it never occurred to me that there was potential for improvement.

Do you know what it is?

It’s my bathroom sink, and many are the mornings that I stand there idly, watching the water run, waiting for it to get warm to soften the bristles of my toothbrush. Swishing my fingers under the water, to make sure that a feeling of warmth isn’t just the nerves in my fingers getting bored. And then the naturally-human superstitious behaviors begin. Turn the faucet on and off a few times. Turn the nozzle from cold to warm really quickly to try and remind the faucet, “Hey! I want you to be warm now!”

Nielsen’s first heuristic talks about the visibility of the system status, and the faucet in my bathroom fails miserably. But the other day I saw a gadget being sold on ThinkGeek that can turn it around. It’s an LED facuet light that turns your water a cool blue color. But for $7 more, you can get the model that turns red when the water temperature hits 89 degrees.

Now that’s what I call system feedback.

Just over a month ago, there was an article on Digg saying that the PerplexCity cube had been found. It sounded intriguing (especially the part about winning $200,000) so I checked it out. Apparently, there’s a puzzle site called PerplexCity which involves a series of collectible trading cards, each with a puzzle. You log in, solve the puzzles, and get clues to the location of the final artifact.

Season 2 recently launched, and while I do enjoy solving puzzles, I seem to recall from childhood that collectible cards are a good way to sink a lot of time and money.

However, I’m very impressed by PerplexCity’s new Japanese Channel. Aside from having Sudoku puzzles (who doesn’t these days), it has a variety of other puzzles, some I haven’t seen before, and some that I have, including Kakuro. I haven’t seen many online implementations of Kakuro, but I think PerplexCity does a good job.

If you’re looking for a challenge, be sure to try a Ponturu puzzle. It takes me back to the good ol’ Graph Theory days of building connected bridge systems. Fun times!

Coming home the other night, I was greeted by an unusual sight:

And I wondered, why might someone leave their keys behind? Here are a few reasons I thought of.

1. A single letter was inside, announcing that the mailbox owner had won the lottery. “Screw this stuff, I’m getting all new stuff.” I would so totally do that.
2. Opening the mailbox opened a portal to another dimension. The owner was sucked in, and the portal promptly closed.
3. A sudden phone call saying there was free pizza just outside, but only if the owner hurried. Once outside? “Oh, you got punk’d!” And the owner is still locked out to this day.

Or maybe it’s just that the owner of the keys was absent-minded. Yesterday, I went into Subway, bought a sandwich, paid, and made it to my car before I realized I didn’t have my food. I guess that could be the more obvious explanation. Even still, I waited around long enough to get my mail and take the picture. Surely the missing keys would have been noticed when he/she was locked out of somewhere.

I’ve been under the weather over the past couple weeks (which explains the lack of posts if, like my manager, you’ve been craving new content. She said she understood, but also mentioned that a colleague was blogging more frequently… you know, in that “Guess who’s getting the bigger bonus” way. Thanks Susan). At times you can’t do much besides lay on the couch and idly watch Law & Order reruns, but there have been some good distractions worth sharing:

1. Reading Blogs: I’ve been using Google Reader a lot lately.
   
   Since I use GMail to manage all of my personal email, using Google Reader to start reading blogs and other content seemed to make logical sense. I hadn’t been using any RSS reader prior, but I’ve noticed that it’s helped me to keep my reading habits up.
   One site that I’ve recently started tracking is digg.com, and I’ve noticed the occasional post about how to blog, including this one - 5 Blogging Methods That Work. You’ll notice this post is using #1.
2. Critiquing Blogs: But really, why are there so many postings telling people how to blog? I suppose they’re filling a need: Someone in my LinkedIn network asked what he should blog about. Maybe he should read that post. But most of the responses made more sense: Blog about whatever you want to blog about.
   Ultimately I still prefer my original stance. My blogging is for me, and yours should be for you. No amount of blogging tips will make your blog wildly popular. So just have fun.
3. Improve Your Empathy! Facebook has a newish feature (OK, I think it’s a few months old by now) called the Friend game. Basically you see prompts like this:
   
   Alright, so to some extent, this tests how well you know your friends, but come on. It’s impossible to know everything that every friend likes. Plus, what do you with prompts like this?
   
   This is a great chance to improve your empathy. Even the most vague preferences can give away the author in their wording. Sometimes it’s tricky, but it’s a fun challenge nonetheless.
4. Playing Other Games: The Friend Game got old after a few minutes, so I had to start trying to find other games. Of course I always recommend Vince’s site for some cool games, but having played those (and not being in the mood to get up and move with the Wii), I was on the hunt for some good time wasters. If you’re in the same boat, here are some fun games that have made Digg lately:
   • Sphere. The author requests no walkthroughs until April, so you’ll have to ping me for hints. But as someone who got stuck a couple times, here’s a hint. There are lots of places to click. Explore, explore, and explore some more!
   • Desktop Tower Defense. I have been addicted to this game, despite it’s repetitive nature. Just the right amount of challenge… it keeps me hooked!
   • Geography Quiz! Surely you’ve heard the statistics that 2/3 of folks in the 18-24 range can’t locate Iraq on a map. Wanting to not fit into that statistic, I’ve been running through this interactive Geography Quiz every now and again. It’s fun, but also shocking that I only can manage around 60% on Europe and Asia. Don’t even ask about Africa.
5. Redesign Your Blog. “… What? But the blog still looks the same!” Ah, it’s a bit of a spoiler. I have received a few nags that a redesign is in order (plus Jason’s perpetual belief that Wordpress’s easy theming heralds the death of competent blogging, though I tend to disagree), so it’s in the works. Sketches have begun! Stay tuned.

Well there you have it. A bulk of content to make up for a month of silence. Now that I’m done being sick, the blogging should pick up again. Check back!