Visual Languages was a foundation course during winter 2010/2011 by Prof. Danijela Djokic. The course was an introduction to information vizualisation techniques. Using a variety of analogue and digital techniques during the initial phase of the project, students were tasked to develop an individual form of expression and sign language – a visual language. Subsequently students were asked to mould their visual languages into an imaginary time-based software application environment.

1. Visual Languages /
Grundlagen der
Informationsvisualisierung/
Stefan Müller / FHP / WS 2010 //

2. De-construct & Re-create:

3. Inspirationsquelle/
Berlin map

4. Chaotic sort/
Berlin map

5. Chaotic sort/
Berlin map

6. Inspirationsquelle/
Building footprints

7. Organizing Shapes

8. Basic Shapes
Protruding
Plain
Recess

9. Basic Shapes/Logic
Plain by size
Plain by shape distortion
Plain with recess by shape distortion
Less active More active
(horizontal) (vertical)
Shallow recess Deep recess
Single protrusion Multiple protrusions

10. With inner shape
Protruding
Plain
Protruding inside

11. With inner shape/logic
Proportionally small Proportionally large
(few thoughts) (lots of thinking)
Plain Distorted
Inner Shapes

12. With inner shape/logic
Number of arms
Proportional size of arms
Protruding directions

13. Multiple inner shapes
Protruding
Plain
Protruding inside

14. Multiple inner shapes/logic
Few inner Shapes <
<Multiple inner Shapes

15. Open Shapes
Complex
Plain
Sprawling

16. Other
Triangle
Roundish

17. Logic Elements
BASIC SHAPE (PHYSICAL ACTIVITY) INNER SHAPE (INSIDE BODY/ EMOTIONS)
• rotation • proportional size
• orientation (vertical/horizontal) • position
• level of distortion • protruding inside
• size
• protruding
• recess
PORTRUDING SHAPES (ARTEFACTS TO INTERACT WITH) OPEN SHAPES (CONVERSATIONS/SAYING
• Number of shapes SOMTHING/PUTTING SOMTHING OUT)
• relative size • Lateral aperture
• orientation & direction
• nesting

18. Simplefied Shapes (30px square on 128px backdrop)

19. Simplefied Shapes (30px square on 128px backdrop)

21. Elements of a single day
Sleep Dream Restless sleep Lying awake
Brew coffee smoke & drink coffee drink coffee smoke lying in bed with computer
dress walking to train wait for train wait and smoke sit on train, reading walk & drink coffee
station and think a bit newspaper

22. More elements of a single day
Sit in front of com- Listen to talk Listen to talk & tinker Discussion after Having a conversation
puter/work with computer talk at lunch
Standing + conversa- Walking + conversa- Sitting down + read-
tion tion ing newspaper
Lying/not thinking Lying awake/think- Sit, think, interact Standing/not walk, no thinking walk & conversation
ing with artefact, thinking much & thinking
absorb info

23. Shape transforming logic
Lying&not thinking Lying awake& Sit, think, interact Standing & not walking & no think- walk & conversation
thinking with artefact, thinking much ing & thinking
absorb info
(e.g. reading news
on computer)

24. 5 actions over 3.5 days
smoked drank ate onTrain computer
(counter) (cathegorical counter) (cathegorical counter (event + duration) (event + duration)
interested in total interested in the + duration) If the point of inter-
times you’ve done occurrence of the same est is when and how
something action with different long something hap-
units pens
coffee breakfast
beer Lunch
tea dinner