Visualization.
Making things visual in physical or mental form — applies to numbers, words, ideas, and even hopes and desires.
Virtual reality can enable us to better understand what others are trying to explain to us by packing simple numbers and diagrams for complex ideas into 3D multilevel interactive images.
Virtual reality is considered alongside other forms of visualisation technology such as computer simulation, animation and information visualisation. All of these are designed to show a visual model of a live system, e.g. human body, complex data set or a large collection of numerical information.
Virtual Reality and Scientific Visualization
Virtual reality is being increasingly used in the field of scientific visualization. This field is based upon using computer graphics to express complex ideas and scientific concepts, for example molecular models or statistical results.
A tool for conveying complex information
In nearly every scientific discipline the proper kind of visualization is helpful, maybe meanwhile mandatory.
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Medicine
- Astronomy
- Engineering
Scientific visualisation is communicating abstract concepts to an audience to help them understanding. The audience can interact with these images, for example, viewing a molecular structure at different angles or as a means of problem solving.
Virtual reality enables scientists to demonstrate a method or convey complex ideas in a visual format in which they visualise research theories or discuss large data sets.
This technology raises possibilities for collaboration between different disciplines or new forms of research and development.
And of course the best at the end, my favorite: New presentation methods.
While some forms of visualization focus on understanding the present and are rooted in empirical observation, they’re only half of the visualization story. The more subjective, and some would say the more compelling side, is about envisioning and creating the future, whether by our own direct efforts, through group collaboration, or by means beyond our total comprehension. There may be more science anchoring conventional visualization methods and more pragmatism to focusing imagination on generating “real” solutions, but we should also be open to the potential of creative visualization in its different forms to help us solve problems and improve our lives.
Humans are visually oriented beings. Slideshows are just numbing us. Communication fast food, so unhealthy! Do not take me wrong, there are excellent powerpoints out there. But most of us simply read bullet points and share the slides afterwards.
Have you ever experienced an excellent speaker that does not need slides? Or when, just to support his story? Listening and understanding.
Of course I’ve tried out alternatives like Prezi. But still somehow not the right thing.
“Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” Confucius, *551 BC. †479 BC.
So I started to think about the next step in presentation, and talked to media psychologists and communication designers. The idea that was born is an interactive experience that guides you through the story. Whenever the audience need to stop, to examine details, pick something out and deconstruct it like a infographics, just do it.
Humans can perceive on the visual level much more information than we think, structures, balance, beauty and much more that we do not think about when presenting something. Visual communication is the key.
A good visualization is interactive, can reveal a trend, can be animated, uses methaphors, puts data into context, gives a perspective, explains a process, presents data beautifully, tells a story and stimulates the imagination!
Am very curious about the outcome and will keep you updated.
