ECS 163: Information Visualization

Summary of Course Content

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of data visualization and develop the ability to create, implement, and assess various visualization designs. Students will acquire hands-on experience in building interactive data visualization applications for exploratory data analysis or compelling storytelling. Students will also work as a team to collaboratively develop a substantial visualization project.

1. Introduction to Visualization
   1. The Value of Visualization
   2. The Process of Visualization
   3. Data Models
   4. Marks & Channels
   5. Effective Visual Encoding
2. Perception
   1. Principles of Human-Computer Interaction
   2. Designing for Graphical Perception
   3. Color
3. Visualization Implementation
   1. Web Programming Basics (HTML/CSS/JS)
   2. Graphing with SVG and Canvas
   3. Implementing Interactions & Animations
4. Visual Navigation Techniques
   1. Interaction Techniques
   2. Animations
   3. Visual Storytelling
5. Data Visualization Techniques
   1. Multidimensional and Multivariate Data
   2. Mapping & Cartography
   3. Graph and Network Data
   4. Time-Oriented Data
   5. Text Data
6. Visualization System Design
   1. User-Centered Designs and Task Analysis
   2. Evaluation and Usability
7. Advanced Topics
   1. Visual Analytics
   2. Research Frontiers

Illustrative Reading
Visualization Analysis and Design, Tamara Munzner, A K Peters/CRC Press, December 2014.

Potential Course Overlap
This course does not have a significant overlap with any other course.