Game Design 2Lecture 9: Micro / Macro Readings

http://gcugd2.com david.farrell@gcu.ac.uk

2013

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

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

Layering & Separation?

• Layering & Separation == multiple types of information + how to separate

• Micro & Macro == multiple scales of information

Spatial

• Maps can show geographical breakdown of a location as well as local detail

• Geometry of land mass as well as regional breakdown.

§

4th Dimension

• More subtle macro readings can look into time.

• The circular layout of the centre of Senlis shows its history as a Gallo-Roman fortification.

• 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.

Symbolic Use

• Micro / Macro designis not always geographic.

• This poster shows that from the work of manyhands, one great planwill be fulfilled.

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.

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

ddddddddddfsdfadf

• dd

Meaning through Scale

• The Vietnam Veterans Memorial achieves its visual and emotional strength through micro / macro design. (Tufte, p43)

• 58,000 dead soldiers

• scale can be seen at a distance

• Individual names up close

• Ordered by date ofdeath

Relative Data• http://bit.ly/billiondollargram

• Shows spend / cost in billionsfrom US budget and events

• Can see immediately highestspent areas

• Can also see actual numbers

Stem and Leaf

• Like a bar chart / histogram but uses the space that would normally be used by solid blocks of colour.

218 Mountains

• d

• Glance tells distribution

• Analysis provides more

• Scale given

• Necessary to round

292 Trains

292 Trains (badly)

• 777 more characters

• hard to see how frequently trains leave at a given hour

• rush hour?

• 11pm trains?

Stem & Leaf Improve?

• How can you modify the stem & leaf plot to show more information (such as platform number)?

Back to Back S&L

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

• 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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

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.

Too complicated?

• Don’t forget that the data is never the problem.

‘Clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information‘ (Tufte)