CS 7450 - Information Visualization

Instructor: John Stasko
Fall 2016
Mon,Wed 3:00 - 4:30 pm
Klaus Bldg. room 2456

Information visualization is a research area that focuses on the use of visualization techniques to help people understand and analyze data. While fields such as scientific visualization involve the presention of data that has some physical or geometric correspondence, information visualization focuses on abstract data without such correspondences such as symbolic, tabular, networked, hierarchical, or textual information sources.

The objectives of the course are

  • Learn the principles involved in information visualization
  • Learn about the variety of existing techniques and systems in information visualization
  • Develop skills in critiquing different visualization techniques as applied to particular tasks
  • Learn how to evaluate visualization systems
  • Gain a background that will aid the design of new, innovative visualizations

The course will follow a lecture/seminar style with much discussion of assigned readings, as well as viewing of videos, interactive design exercises, and hands-on experience with research and commercial information visualization tools.

We will be reading recent research papers about the different course topics. In addition, we will be using one book for the course: Design for Infromation by Isabel Meirelles, Rockport Publishers 2013. Also highly recommended is Envisioning Information by Edward Tufte, Graphics Press 1990.

Grading will be based on class participation, short homeworks, assignments involving use and analysis of some information visualization tools, and a semester project. The weight of each assignment can be found on the assignments page.

Students from a variety of disciplines are invited to take the class, but some prior background in human-computer interaction will be helpful. Programming experience is not required but will be useful.

Class Policies
All students are required and expected to attend class. Attendance will be taken frequently. Except when you are specifically using them for an in-class exercise, no laptops, tablets, or cellphones are allowed. The simply serve to distract you and other students.

Group Projects
Students in the Fall 2016 class created some great projects. This Project Summary page provides links to a number of the projects from the class this fall.