On 15/08/07, Simon Cobb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Kim said: "Useful or Playful? Is the question to ask." > > I'd argue that useful and playful can be part of the same thing. > Certainly nothing ever stuck with me that I didn't enjoy using/ thinking > about. Likewise many of the children I used to teach. The trick is > to combine the 2. I think there's ways from that set of visualisations to > encourage people to make playful and useful interfaces to bbc data/ apps if > the API's were available. >
As I was trying to say, a system that allows the end-user to construct live visualizations of data is a commendable idea, but (almost) by definition this will be impossible for others to use. For example, many people will use red to indicate an error state and green to indicate a OK condition. But you can't use that for everyone as 10% of men are red-green colourblind. If you do some research you will also find out that some people are visually-orientated and respond well to these kinds of representations. But others prefer speech over visual explanations and this kind of thing will exclude those people. > Brian said: "I presume you have some substantive evidence that no testing > is require then?" > > That's not what I said, it's just that I'm not personally convinced that > his views are as up-to-date as they should be and so cannot perpetuate his > status as an untouchable usability expert. But that's best discussed over a > pint at some unspecified future backstage event rather than this list. > That's a total cop-out, either you can explain why no usability testing is required or not. Personally I don't drink so I can't see why I would never discover the great truth that has been revealed to your good self. Simply being rude about someone is a failure to explain - just an insult rather than a debunking. ------------------------------ > *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] *On Behalf Of *Brian Butterworth > *Sent:* 14 August 2007 18:12 > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [backstage] more data visualisation links > > > I guess this brings us right back to Richard MacDuff's "Anthem" programme > which attempted much the same but with music in the first Dirk Gently book > (coming soon to Radio 4)... > > On 14/08/07, Kim Plowright <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > I think the point here is 'does the visualisation of the data adds > > meaning, or is just pretty to look at?'. > > > > Does your visualisation tell people more about the data set than the > > raw numbers? Is it 'legible'? Does it expose trends and meaning that > > would otherwise be hidden to all but the most numerate? Does it let > > someone reach sound conclusions faster, or navigate quicker, or become > > more accurate? > > > > Which is Tufte territory, not Nielsen. > > http://www.edwardtufte.com/tufte/ > > > > Not that there's anything wrong with pretty, but good datavis is about > > adding layers of meaning, as well as the layers of aesthetics. > > > > Its possible to remove the 'data' during the visualisation process and > > turn it in to a purely aesthetic entertainment experience, too. Some > > of the Jonathan Harris stuff does this - it's information as > > spectacle. Fun to look at, not 'wrong' per se, but a terrible way of > > actually turning data -> information -> knowledge. > > > > Useful or Playful? Is the question to ask. > > > > > Some of these seem to be of dubious real use. Has anyone put any of > > them > > > though Jakob Nielsen-style user testing? > > - > > Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, > > please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html > > . Unofficial list archive: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > > > > > -- > Please email me back if you need any more help. > > Brian Butterworth > www.ukfree.tv > -- Please email me back if you need any more help. Brian Butterworth www.ukfree.tv
