Rook is playful data visualization device aiming at the dissemination of air quality data. The Rook unit accesses the database of the Hollandse Luchten (henceforth HL) project, which collects data on air quality in Nord-Holland via a network of sensor kits distributed to the local population and displays it in an interactive way using lights and mist. The eerie and mysterious effect of the colored mist aims at a playful and enticing effect on its users, while, at the same time, spreading awareness on one of the key sustainability issues of the region. People can interact freely with the machine so to explore its working and the data it conveys.This paper aims to contextualize and describe the design process behind the creation of Rook and to propose some reflections on playfulness, citizenship and data visualization.
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Depicting news graphically is considered an apt way to deal with two challenges of modern journalism: to disclose big data, and present the news attractively, visually, and fast to grasp. Newsrooms try their hand at it and are figuring out how to organize production of information visualizations effectively. This study delves into reported obstacles and challenges for the production of news visualizations and suggests that enhancing the quality of information visualization in news media, asks for a clear view on what information visualization means for the production of news, rather than only stimulating journalist to acquire new skills
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The planning and design of an inland container terminal is a complex task due to many interrelated design parameters and interdependent stakeholders. Design tools may support the optimization of technical, economic and logistical values, but this optimization is strongly inhibited by conflicting interests, political and environmental boundaries and strategic stakeholder behavior. The main research question in this contribution is: how can visualization-simulation tools be used in an early stage of complex inter-organizational decision-making on infrastructures in such a way that it enhances the quality and progress of this decision-making? A collaborative design environment was developed for the early phase of inter-organizational decision-making. In the gaming-simulation 'containers a drift', a number of public and private stakeholders try to reach initial agreement on an inland container terminal. A team of process-managers facilitate a collaborative design process and set up a number of ground rules for negotiation. A visualization-simulation tool is used to explore the various technical, economic, political and spatial issues. While negotiating on issues such as location and size of the terminal, small groups of stakeholders interactively draw several terminal layouts. Logistical and economic data, e.g., on ships, containers and costs are entered in a database. The terminal's performance and its dynamic behavior is simulated and assessed. The game was played in three sessions with a total number of 77 students. The evaluation results indicate that the various tools are easy to work with, greatly contribute to the quality and process of negotiation and generate mutual understanding.
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An essential condition to use mathematics to solve problems is the ability to recognize, imagine and represent relations between quantities. In particular, covariational reasoning has been shown to be very challenging for students at all levels. The aim of the project Interactive Virtual Math (IVM) is to develop a visualization tool that supports students’ learning of covariation graphs. In this paper we present the initial development of the tool and we discuss its main features based on the results of one preliminary study and one exploratory study. The results suggest that the tool has potential to help students to engage in covariational reasoning by affording construction and explanation of different representations and comparison, relation and generalization of these ones. The results also point to the importance of developing tools that elicit and build upon students' self-productions
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Visualizing news is increasingly considered an apt way for dealing with two challenges of modern journalism: disclosing big data and presenting complex information in a way that is easy to comprehend. Newsrooms are trying their hand at it, and finding ways to organize the production of information visualizations effectively. This study delves into reported challenges for the production of news visualizations and suggests, in line with findings from the research case studies, that the introduction of information visualization in the media requires a convergence of journalistic and visual thinking skills, a more iterative news production process and a revised view of the function of news per se.
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Societal developments show that future demands for visualization can be expected to grow. In many areas of organized human activities organizations may turn away from textual and numerical flatlands, and rely on the convenient and multidimensional digital worlds. Virtual worlds for facility management, design, and planning are no exception, it has an enormous potential to help organizations finding the right spaces that fit the human activities they perform. However, a major take-up of virtual worlds in this context allowing a comparison between present and future, is yet to come. Perhaps such applications, interweaving virtual and real worlds in order to design better facilities are at its beginning stages. One thing is clear: sophisticated applications may have remained absent until today, but it will come to us. Digital worlds start to normalize and the design of organizational spaces can benefit from that development. In this current article the effects of the proposed integrationof visualization with facilities were studied in a case study design. It was assessed whether the participants would actually change the design, without data on the organizational performance, and to what extent this affected staff satisfaction. This study however showed no design changes and no statistically significant changes in the affective responses ofparticipants between pre-test and post-test stages. However, in this current case the sample size may have been too small for generalization purposes. The connection of virtualworlds with organizational data, which were not applied in this current case but were in fact applied in our earlier studies, may be vital for the efficacy of interactive facility management, design, and planning. It is concluded that data on organizational performance serve as a linking pin between facility management and virtual worlds. Interaction can thus be improved by using organizational data as ‘subtitles’ which stimulate a more active use of the visualization.
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The use of art (e.g. visualized narratives) in social work may stimulate dialogue between community members about family support in their neighbourhood. The Visualized Narratives on Parenting Interactions in the Neighbourhood (VN-PIN) were developed in order to foster this dialogue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the implementation of the VN-PIN in social work practice and to gain insight in mechanisms that stimulate dialogues supported by visualizations. A qualitative process evaluation was conducted to explore the use of the VN-PIN in various urban settings. We observed meetings (N = 14) where the VN-PIN was applied and interviewed professionals and community members (N = 81). The results of this study show that the VN-PIN intervention gives parents a voice and allows them to recognize and reflect on their own parenting behaviour, thereby contributing to mutual exchanges in a supportive community. The conclusion of this study is that the VN-PIN is a useful intervention that social work professionals can use to foster dialogues about parenting within diverse contexts in super-diverse neighbourhoods. The intervention fosters a supportive structure to share experiences of various community members. Future research is needed to further evaluate the experiences and satisfaction of community members with the intervention.
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Urban flooding has become a key issue for many cities around the world. The project ‘INnovations for eXtreme Climatic EventS’ (INXCES) developed new innovative technological methods for risk assessment and mitigation of extreme hydroclimatic events and optimization of urban water-dependent ecosystem services at the catchment level. DEMs (digital elevation maps) have been used for more than a decade now as quick scan models to indicate locations that are vulnerable to urban flooding. In the last years the datasets are getting bigger and multidisciplinary stakeholders are becoming more demanding and require faster and more visual results. In this paper, the development and practical use of DEMs is exemplified by the case study of Bergen (Norway), where flood modelling using DEM is carried out in 2017 and in 2009. We can observe that the technology behind tools using DEMs is becoming more common and improved, both with a higher accuracy and a higher resolution. Visualization tools are developed to raise awareness and understanding among different stakeholders in Bergen and around the world. We can conclude that the evolution of DEMS is successful in handling bigger datasets and better (3D) visualization of results with a higher accuracy and a higher resolution. With flood maps the flow patterns of stormwater are analysed and locations are selected to implement (sub-)surface measures as SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage systems) that store and infiltrate stormwater. In the casestudy Bergen the following (sub-)surface SuDS have been recently implemented with the insights of DEMS: settlement storage tank, rainwater garden, swales, permeable pavement and I/T-drainage. The research results from the case study Bergen will be shared by tools to stimulate international knowledge exchange. New improved DEMs and connected (visualization) tools will continue to play an important role in (sub-)surface flood management and climate resilient urban planning strategies around the world.
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As interactive systems become increasingly complex and entwined with the environment, technology is becoming more and more invisible. This means that much of the technology that people come across every day goes unnoticed and that the (potential) workings of ambient systems are not always clearly communicated to the user. The projects discussed in this paper are aimed at increasing public understanding of the existence, workings and potential of screens and ambient technology by visualizing its potential. To address issues and implications of visibility and system transparency, this paper presents work in progress as example cases for engaging people in ambient monitoring and public screening. This includes exploring desired scenarios for ambient monitoring with users as diverse as elderly people or tourists and an interactive tool for mapping public screens.
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