#DataVizInSixWeeks, Week 3 - Perception & Cognition

Copyright Anne Stevens 2014

An Introduction to Visual Analytics course taught at OCAD University, Toronto

Week Three

Perception and cognition

#DataVizInSixWeeks

Anne Stevens

http://stevensanne.com/?page_id=945

Today

Concepts

Perception

Cognition

Tools

Tableau Public


c/o Fanny ChevalierCopyright Anne Stevens 2014

Distributed computing distributed cognition


Perception and cognition

Work with laws of perception, not against them

Objective & analytic assessment tools


Cognition

Myth– Continuous

– Seamless

– People are passive receivers of external info

Reality– Fragmented

– That’s why we can drive and talk at the same time

– People construct their reality

– Not all thought processes are created equal


Not all thought is created equal

System 1 (primitive)– Reactive

– Automatic

– Fast

– Can multitask

– Consumes few calories

System 2 (rational)– Goal driven

– Conscious

– Not automatic

– Slow

– Single task

– Consumes a lot of brain resources

– Working Memory



Perception

Myth– Continuous

– That we see the entire scene at once

… and equally well

– Passive receptors

Reality– Details on demand

– Just in time delivery

– Most efficient use of brain resources

– Both bottom-up & top-down processes

– Combination of preattentive and attentive processes



Preattentive perception

Find the red circle / circle


Find the red circle


Preattentive perception

System 1 processing

– fast, automatic

– bottom- up

– instinctive

– efficient

– can multitask


Attentive perception

System 2 processing

– Slower, deliberate, focused

– top down

– consumes more Visual Working Memory

– Visual Working Memory can hold 3 +1 objects

Preattention – attention continuum

Can change over time

Can change with conditioning

Visual processing is a combination of bottom-up & top-down processes


t


Preattentive features

Not all preattentive features are created equal


Good design avoids interference


Questions?


Brain = pattern recognition machine


Brain = pattern recognition machine

addict


Gestalt psychology

Principal: Reification


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reification.jpg

Gestalt psychology

Principle: Multistability



Gestalt laws

Closure Similarity



Gestalt laws

Priximity



Gestalt laws

Symmetry Continuity

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Gestalt laws

Common Fate Figure/ground



Questions?


Jacques Bertin: Semiology of Graphics, 1967


Jacques Bertin: visual variables






University of Munstercartography.uni-muenster.de/en/symbols/visual-variables




Visual variable: size




Dan Berlinslideshare.net/Banderlin/visual-principles-of-experience-design-blending-art-and-science

Visual variable: colour value


Visual variable: colour hue


Visual variable: colour hue


chicagostraightdope.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Chicago

Map of the Marketmarketwatch.com/tools/stockresearch/marketmap


http://www.marketwatch.com/tools/stockresearch/marketmap

Single and multiple users, plus, change over time.

39

The Care and Condition Monitorstevensanne.com/?portfolio=brava-design-for-mobile

How Voting Works

40

HSB Colour Values

The Care and Condition Monitorstevensanne.com/?portfolio=brava-design-for-mobile

Data mapping

One dimensional data: easy

Multi-dimensional data mapping: trickier

Map each data dimension to a different graphic element

map primary data to primary visual feature; secondary to secondary, and so on

Avoid interference with preattentive perception



Questions?



An Introduction to Visual Analytics course taught at OCAD University, Toronto

stevensanne.com

Follow the blog here.

@3_ring_binder

#DataVizInSixWeeks

http://stevensanne.com/?page_id=945

Date post:	04-Dec-2014
Category:	Design
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#DataVizInSixWeeks, Week 3 - Perception & Cognition

Design