FatFonts - fonts with real weight: Giving space and data form

How it works (from fatfonts.org):

Fatfonts are designed so that the amount of dark pixels in a numeral character is proportional to the number it represents. For example, “2″ has twice the ink than “1″, “8″ has two times the amount of dark ink than “4″ etc. You can see this easily in the set of characters below:

Source for the above and animated: http://visual.ly/fatfonts-player?view=true

My source: Jacob Aron, Making numbers punch their weight, New Scientist, 5 May 2012, 214, 2863, p.12.

A model, HTML5, games, the normal and the pathological

In the UK the powers that be finally recognise the need to introduce children to computer programming. Our future economic viability depends on no less. So many children are too locked into playing games to consider how games are created. New developments including the Raspberry Pi should help change this.

Here's a possible book intro....

While this book is considered an introduction to building HTML5 care applications with Hodges' model a conceptual framework, it is also intended to be a companion guide to help get you started making, and more importantly, finishing your care applications.

Now I'm not seriously proposing that a care application could be written in HTML5 (am I?). In trying to encourage a teen game player to try game programming, I came across a sentence in Jesse Freeman's short book Introducing HTML5 Game Development which I've revamped above.

The book is about Impact (not open source), a javascript framework. Skimming through the text's potential as a present, you appreciate the potential of games and simulations in health care.

In health care we talk about levels of care. In Impact there is Weltmeister a level editor.

The reader is also encouraged:

"Think of the canvas as an image, that we can bitmap data into." p.8.

There are maps: background and collision. There are Classes, Person is an inevitable example. Admittedly there is also a zombie, but then one of the domains of Hodges' model is frequently described as being populated by zombies (well, look at their movement and the fact that they are non-living).

There's talk of a GDD - a game design document. There is a need for a high concept, plus an asset pipeline, and if the design includes complex levels the likely need for a background, middle ground and foreground. If Life is about sprites running ragged around levels of game play, Death is in there too.

Additional link: Normal and Pathological

IdN Extra 07: Infographics — Designing Data

Visiting Manchester twice this past fortnight I'd noticed this IdN special issue on infographics in the Cornerhouse shop. The shop's only small but there is lots to dive into - arts, media, design and philosophy.

When a database becomes a thing of beauty

Infographics or information graphics are visual representations of information, data or knowledge. They are often used when complex information needs to be presented as quickly and effectively as possible, such as signs and maps. Infographics can be as simple as a bar chart or a pie graph to represent percentages in business information; or as elaborative as some of the examples in this book to communicate stories in newspapers and magazine.

Infographics can be entertaining when the information they represent is of personal interest; but it is especially fun and challenging when the topic may be as dry as representing concepts in technical manuals or scientific statics.

 <->

I don't know if it's the reduced scale, or my right eye talking but some of the text descriptions are difficult to read. The graphics and ideas are stunning, both in themselves and the questions they provoke.

Visual Methodologies Doctoral Training Workshop 26 - 27 June 2012

Developing Theory & Practice in Visual Methodologies

The School of Education, Communication & Language Sciences and Durham University’s School of Education are holding a two-day workshop for doctoral students on the development and use of visual methodologies.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, 26 June and Wednesday, 27 June 2012 at Newcastle University.

Further information about the workshop and how to register can be found at:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/education/postgraduate/visualmethodologies/

The workshop is part of the North East Doctoral Training Centre’s (NEDTC) annual programme of advanced training in the social sciences.

Please do not hesitate to contact Anne Parks ( NEDTC Secretary email a.l.park AT durham.ac.uk ) if you need any further information about the event.

My source:
ESA-ALL at JISCMAIL.AC.UK

Update papers, Drupal and future April 2012

You might have noticed a slight hiatus in posts recently, in fact over the past six weeks or so. During that time I was working on a paper following the November's CARDI conference when two others popped up again out of the academic ether.

I've probably whined on before about how I write, but don't benefit from like-minded people to read stuff and bounce ideas off. It's not that my nursing and multidisciplinary colleagues are not academically inclined: far from it. There's people taking time to travel to Lancaster, Preston and Manchester to pursue good stuff. It is about mindset though for the many (and having a cussed question). That means being in the groove, finding your rubric, whatever you want to call it. The other week I was trying to encourage a colleague to do the Master's thing; because if you (we!) don't soon then it ain't going to happen.

One paper a co-written effort has been ongoing for quite sometime (must be years). Another paper highlights my idiosyncratic style when working solo (I bet my two current co-authors might agree to that) quite a few referees have. The latest co-authored effort 6,000+ words has actually come together quite quickly over the past six weeks. There was an abortive start when extending a poster was abandoned for a forthcoming journal special topic issue. Once a target publication was identified  things took shape rapidly. Nothing like a deadline to charge the batteries. No doubt there will be changes to follow, but it's a fitter piece of work on submission than I could have produced alone. I'm sparing you the specifics for obvious reasons, but when there's progress you'll have the details here. In the meantime thanks George and thanks for staying the course Mike! Extending the h2cm bibliography is never easy, but then academic writing is not intended to be.

Of course I need to leave Open Office and pick up Drupal in earnest. With the matrimonial home now a matter of many happy memories - one thing I miss is a key in the door to a place of my own.

Since summer 2008 I would have been lost without family support - thanks mum! I'd also be lost without Sue where I spend most of my time*: thanks to you too Sue!

Space to work in a consistent way though just isn't there presently. Yes, I know what this means. "You're NO genius!" If Drupal was going to happen, you'd make it happen: whatever!

The laser treatment last month worked fine: brilliant ;-) in fact. My poor left eye, is now my best. They didn't do the right, it wasn't as bad as they thought (suddenly though I notice the problem there too).

I'm really looking f/w to Sweden next month and Conceptual Spaces at Work. That trip's not about presenting - going to learn.

I've been watching SVG for many years and notice that the SVG Open series of conferences is changing its name to The Graphical Web.

Now if an investor needed a sign....

In between there's Drupalcon Munich.

 Wondering if I can justify going to Zurich in September?

*Drafted and posted in Tom and Jerry's!

Call for chapters - Human centric visualization: Theories, methodologies and case studies

[Shortened for length from original post to ubicomp.org]

*** CALL FOR CHAPTERS  ***
Proposal due: Feb 24, 2012
Notification due: March 09, 2012
Full chapter due: June 15, 2012

A book edited by Tony Huang (CSIRO ICT Centre, Australia), to be published by Springer: www.springer.com
Web: http://www.wikicfp.com/cfp/servlet/event.showcfp?eventid=19780%A9ownerid=14065

1. Introduction

Visualizations (diagrams) are produced for people to make sense or interact with them. Rapid advances in display technology and computer power have enabled researchers to produce visually appealing pictures or compelling visual environments to end users. However, the effectiveness of those pictures in conveying embedded information to the users and impact of visual environments on humans have not been fully understood.
This book addresses issues related to design, evaluation and application of visualizations from a human centric perspective. This cutting-edge book is an edited volume whose contributors include experts worldwide, from diverse disciplines including psychologist, artists, engineers and scientists.
Academics, students, engineers and consultants will find this book useful for both research and engineering purposes.

2. Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Part I: Introduction and overview

Current status and future challenges of visualization methods
Current status and future challenges of human centric visualizations research
Survey of evaluation methods in visualization
Survey of theories, frameworks, models, heuristics and design principles for visualization

Part II: Theories, models, frameworks, heuristics and design principles for human centric visualization

Theories of visual thinking, diagram perception, cognition and reasoning and their applications
Latest developments toward theories of visualization
Latest development of frameworks, models, heuristics and design principles for visualization
Applications of the theories, frameworks, models, heuristics and design principles
Adaptations and applications of theories from other domains in visualization

Part III: Methodologies for design, development and evaluation of human centric visualization

Approaches and practices of visualization design
Evaluation methods
Measurement metrics
Taxonomies of tasks
Design and evaluation frameworks
Development and validation of methodologies
Application of methodologies
Lessons learned and experience obtained in developing and applying methodologies

Part IV: Case studies of human centric visualization

Human factors (e.g., memory, cognitive ability, gender, individual differences)
Visual perception and cognition
Visual analytics
Social, cultural aspects of visualization
Implications of new technologies (e.g., displays, new media) on humans
User experience
Implications of interactive methods on humans
Implications of new visualizations on humans
Roles of human in collaborative visualization
Use of visualizations for decision making, learning, business, software engineering, science, security, biology, design, construction, cartography, etc.
Visualization in virtual reality/mixed reality/augmented reality
Case studies and evaluations of interfaces, systems and prototypes of visualizations
Lessons learned and experience obtained in evaluating and designing visualizations
....

4. Important dates

Proposal due:  February 24, 2012  (Proposal has no length limits, usually should include motivations, method, contributions and a brief outline of the full chapter)
Notification: March 09, 2012
Full chapter due: June 15, 2012
Full manuscript due to publisher: August 1, 2012
Book publication: October 1, 2012

5. Contact

All submissions and inquiries should be sent to:
Tony Huang
CSIRO ICT Center, Australia
Email: whua5569 AT gmail.com

Green Collar Jobs: The Big Picture (Infographic)

I like big pictures :) especially those that point the way to a greener global future.

For text and my source please see:
http://blog.sustainablog.org/2011/12/green-collar-jobs-infographic/

Infographic by Jobvine Jobs