A data visualization course at an art school

ABSTRACT

We describe an online class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design on data visualization. The class aims to give a visual, intuitive, hands-on understanding of statistical data presentation suitable for art students. Formal mathematics is kept to an absolute minimum. The curriculum is divided into three sections: a section on fundamentals of what graphs mean, a section on three graphical designers, and a section on state-of-the-art visualization. We use a system developed at MCAD to encourage community-building and mutual critique in an online enviroment. At the time of this writing, the class is beginning its third year and is doing well.

References

1. Holmes, Nigel. 1984. Designer's Guide to Creating Charts and Diagrams. Watson-Guptill Publications.
2. Tufte, Edward R. 1992. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Graphics Press.
3. Tufte, Edward R. 1997. Visual Explanations. Graphics Press.
4. Wurman, Richard Saul. 1999. Understanding USA. Ted Conferences.
5. Wurman, Richard Saul. 2001. Information Anxiety 2. Que Press.

Index Terms

• Applied computing

  • Arts and humanities

    • Performing arts

  • Enterprise computing

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

• Social and professional topics

  • Professional topics

    • Computing education

      • Computing education programs

        • Computer science education

      • Model curricula