Colloquium WHAT: Martin Wattenberg (IBM): "Revelatory Interfaces" WHEN: Thursday, May 27, 2004, 3:00 PM EST WHERE: Bartos Theatre, MIT Media Lab (E15) SUMMARY: A "revelatory interface" to information combines visualization, interaction, and data transformation. The goal is to reveal levels of structure and meaning below a surface of raw data. The need and opportunities for new techniques are expanding with the growth of new information sources, from online communities to camera phones. Revelatory visualizations can serve as analytical tools, or as full alternate interfaces to change the way people use and understand data. Wattenberg will discuss interface techniques that transform structure in "data space" to structure in "visual space," and how they allow rapid analysis of complex systems. He will also discuss directions for a theoretical framework for the design and evaluation of visual interfaces. BIO: Martin Wattenberg is a research scientist at IBM. His work focuses on visual approaches to communication and collaboration. Before joining IBM he was Director of Research and Development at SmartMoney.com, where he created the "Map of the Market," a widely used visualization of stock market data. Wattenberg is also known for artistic data visualization, interpreting such disparate information sources as music, museum collections, and Web searches; his artwork has been exhibited internationally, including at the Whitney Museum of American Art, London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, and Ars Electronica. Wattenberg received his PhD in mathematics from UC Berkeley. MIT Media Laboratory Home Page | Events Main Index