2. Micro / Macro Readings
‘A method for presenting large quantities of data at high
densities in a way that a broad overview of the data is
given and yet an immense amount of detail is provided.’
Ruddle 2002
3. Definition
• Visualising data at two levels in one image
• Micro Data (low level detail)
• Macro Data (high level detail)
• User / Viewer can get a rough idea at a
glance but also see detailed information
4.
5. Layering & Separation?
• Layering & Separation == multiple types of
information + how to separate
• Micro & Macro == multiple scales of
information
6. Spatial
• Maps can show geographical breakdown of
a location as well as local detail
• Geometry of land mass as well as regional
breakdown.
11. • The circular layout of the centre of Senlis
shows its history as a Gallo-Roman
fortification.
12.
13.
14. • Glasgow’s industrial history, built around
the River Clyde is apparent by the density
on its shore.
• Stirling borders a river but the lack of focus
shows its different history.
15. Symbolic Use
• Micro / Macro design
is not always geographic.
• This poster shows that
from the work of many
hands, one great plan
will be fulfilled.
16. Character Design
• In games, it is often possible to read many
scales of information from looking at a
character:
• character class, team, attack, defence,
health etc.
17.
18. Combining M/M & L&S
• The London Air Quality Network website
has to provide a very dense set of data in
an intuitive interface.
• They layer user interface elements over a
rich map which shows different types of
data as well as different scales of data.
• http://bit.ly/londonair
36. Missile or Toothbrush?
• 7000 objects > 10 cm in diameter in space
• rocket engines, bin bags, frozen sewage,
shrapnel from tests, 1 wrench and 1
toothbrush
• Only 5% are functional satellites
• Necessary to track for safety of launches
37.
38.
39. • Note the ring on the second image.
• this is the geostationary orbit used by
satellites
• The scale of the problem can be seen, not
only in overall but also in terms of orbit
height and relative density of areas.
40. Why Micro & Macro?
• We thrive in information rich contexts
• Visually rich displays are not only
appropriate to convey information but are
often the optimal way to do so.
41. • If information is spread over multiple
screens, the user needs to keep that
information in memory
• If information is condensed into one
screen / graphic, it only requires
understanding.
42. • Micro / Macro designs enforce local and
global comparisons but do so without the
need to context switch.
• Power is given to the user to decide what
level of detail is required.
43. Downsides of M/M
• creating good Micro / Macro design is hard.
• it is easier to have one display for each
scale of data.
• it may be necessary to gather or process
more data (e.g. stem plot vs bar chart)
• it may be difficult to blend the scales
together.
44. Too complicated?
• Don’t forget that the data is never the
problem.
‘Clutter and confusion are failures of
design, not attributes of information‘
(Tufte)
Hinweis der Redaktion
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Maps like this show two scales of data. you can get overview or look closely for small scale details\n
Islands Vs docks\n\nThat there IS a bridge Vs name of bridge\n\nprogress in game terms (unlocks)\n\n
not always spatial\n
This is Senlis in France - on eof the oldest cities in France.\nThe cathedral started construction in 1153.\nWhat's noticable?\nCircular\nHistory of town is that it was roman - they all had circular border\nmany roman towns have central circle\n\none scale? Buildings and shape\nanother scale? Time and history\n
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Let’s try to read a city we know\n\nWhat you can tell about Glasgow is:\non one scale - you notice geography like the river and fields\n\non another scale, you can read into the history - the city was built on the river, you can read the same image at two scales.\n
Contrast with Stirling\n\nStirling\nForth river\nnot particularly more dense around the river\nmore built around the trains\ntells the history\nstirling was important for strategic reasons\ngate between high and lowlands, not industry\n____\n\n
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\nFractal Hand Image\nImage works as one big symbol\nat another level, the idea of many hands working to one plan\n
Imagine seeing a bunch of characters fighting below the camera (like a LOTR shot\n\nLow level details\ndeath vs not near death\narmour level\nclass\n\nHigher level deails\nalso at another scale\nclans\nhistory of the team \n\n
Cops Vs Robbers - these are robbers\nMicro level would be that there are 11 potential threats\nthat they have certain weapons etc..\n\nmore macro would be \nthat they are in a clan?\nthat this clan 'owns' this area?\n
London Air\nMicro\nroads\ngeography\nthis particular reading in this particular year for this particular test\nelements like parks / congestion zone (why pick that area)\nLondon borough by borough comparison\nindividual building areas (park in hackney / old street closeup)\nair monitoring sites\nzoom in for 3d\n \nmacro\npatterns - drag the year bar\ncentre london more than outer\nROADS are ALL bad\nhuge drop off in roads vs non roads\nthis means that pollution disperses \nthings are improving over time\n\n
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The image\nhuge black slab\none scale\nwhole thing in entirety\nanother scale\nwhat 58,000 deaths mean\n
\nOrdered by date of death\nAlphabetically reads like a phone book\nby date reads as fitting tribute\n
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Disparity of US military and food&education squares\nComparison between walmart revenue & profits\nSolar Energy panel\nBill Gates!\nPharmaceutical Industry - look at gifts to doctors\nIllegal drug market is huge\nGames industry is < 2* yoga industry and almost == with gift cards\nLook at africa's debt\nlook at the rebuild plans vs the huge loss\n\nshows priorities\ncolour used - see the little oped orange square\n
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pretend it's bars - you can tell the mean average - 2000 feet - 7000 feet is the biggest range\n\nStem & leaf rounds up or down - each number represents one mountain\nso you can tell that there aren't just 5 mountains that are 19,000 or higher\n you can tell there's one that's 19,300, 19,900, 19,700, 19,300, 19000\n\nThis is a mindset - where am I NOT showing info, and where can I show it\n\n\n
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Japanese train timetable\nHour of day of furthest LHS\neach entry beyond to right is times past the hour that the train leaves\n\nyou can tell rush hour - density of time of day\nafter midnight, only 4 trains and WHEN they are\n
stem uses two dimensions - up / down and going to right\n\nlook at the b2b one\n\nalso telling you which platform!\n\nbalance between density and ease of use\nb2b s&l is better once you can read it.\n
look at the b2b one\n\nalso telling you which platform!\n\nbalance between density and ease of use\nb2b s&l is better once you can read it.\n
slightly old numbers\neach of these items is deadly\nyou need to know where this stuff is\n\nwouldn't it be useful to SEE where these things are?\n\nyou wouldn't expect nasa to say 'there's a gap!... LAUNCH!'\n
each item has data point with it.\norbit, speed\n\nalso has patterns - i.e the density of satellites - you would place your dish higher or lower than the band if possible\n\n\n
same sample\nbut look at the ring\ngeostationary \n
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Think about RTS games - \nmicro being small details like what ot build next -\nanother scale being what is overall plan\n\nThink about supreme commander - one player had full map view\n\n
\n\nThe reason we like dense info is that it requires cognition but not memory\n\n
\npower given&#x2026;\nmicro macro lets user decide what level to engage at\n\n
front office football\nnitty gritty of players\nnot giving overall status really\n\nThe stem and leaf thing - you have to sort and modify the data before you can create - more work\n\nAs you zoom out in Civ, it becomes more top down, icons change and become representative\nat a certain point it becomes an info screen\ngeometry of game\nhot cold et\nbut lose the micro somewhat\n\nit would be ideal to be able to make best of both worlds - zoom out for overview but still have control - contrast with civ 5\n\n\n