Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lhdsy1!meo
From: meo@lhdsy1.chevron.com (Mike E. Osborne)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics.visualization
Subject: Re: Out of the lab, into the classroom
Keywords: reuse fabulous
Message-ID: <749@lhdsy1.chevron.com>
Date: 9 Apr 91 05:42:45 GMT
References: <1991Apr3.215031.7763@nas.nasa.gov> <1151@durer.cme.nist.gov> <1991Apr4.174721.7759@dragon.wpd.sgi.com>
Reply-To: meo@lhdsy1.UUCP (Mike E. Osborne)
Organization: Chevron Oil Field Research, La Habra, CA.
Lines: 33

In article <1991Apr4.174721.7759@dragon.wpd.sgi.com> ciemo@bananapc.wpd.sgi.com (Dave Ciemiewicz) writes:
>In article <1151@durer.cme.nist.gov>, bagwill@swe.ncsl.nist.gov (Bob Bagwill) writes:
>|> On the other hand, scientists may ignore useful data because it doesn't make
>|> a pretty picture.  Speaking from zero knowledge, I would guess that
>|> grant committees and other investors like pretty pictures.  Scene from
>|> NSF committee of the future :-)
>
>Speaking from, an albeit limited, number  experiences in this area, do not
>underestimate the power of a pretty picture.  Sometimes you may even want to
>target color choices in a visualization based on the target audience.  If
>it's to a colleague who will question your choices, you may want to choose
>colors that are meaningful.  If it is a sales pitch to your management,
>investors, grant committees, et cetera, bold colors and richly saturated hues
>seem to work quite well.
>
I have very much enjoyed the philosophy of science carried on here
lately.  I also find that those in management reviewing programs which
have extensive visualization graphics seem more impressed with flashy
colors and 3-D rotating, shaded surfaces.  However the workers here seem
to develop and use fairly complex graphics (often X-Y plots with
many things plotted to show interrelationships, or maps with what
appears to the novice as a confusing mess) which highlight the
INFORMATION hidden in the data.  Between these two extremes is the
balance used to try and communicate what the expert visualizer has
seen in the data.  The science (and much of it is human factors) of
visualization should focus on the last two uses of visualizing tools
despite the fact that management usually approves the purchase of the
hardware and software necessary to carry out these actions.

Thanks again for very enjoyable reading.

Mike Osborne
meo@chevron.com