Pop-Outs

Pop-Outs

VDL Categories: Vision Science

Project type	http://smct.armystudyguide.com/Skill_Levels_2-4-AUG2003/071-329-1019.htm
In-class exercise
Source
Original.

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Background Materials

Readings

[Ware 2004] Colin Ware. Information Visualization: Perception for Design. Morgan Kaufmann, 2004. ISBN: 1558608192. Section on "pre-attentive processing, pp.163-175.
[Palmer 1999] Stephen E. Palmer. Vision Science: Photons to Phenomenology. Bradford Books, ISBN: 0262161834

Relevance to VDL

Basic concepts in perception are integral to visual digital literacy. In this case, designers in many fields can apply their knowledge of pre-attentive processing to create exceptionally clear signage and symbol maps that can be used effectively under time pressure.

Interactive multimedia software

none.

Materials Needed

Examples of relevant applications of the module content

Scientific Visualization. E.g., Healey, C. G., Booth, K. S., and Enns, J. T. "Visualizing Real-Time Multivariate Data Using Preattentive Processing." ACM Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation 5, 3, (1995), 190-221. http://www.csc.ncsu.edu/faculty/healey/download/tomacs.95.pdf
Tactical maps. (A Google image search reveals many of these.)

Activities

Everyone receives a handout with sets of two frames (choose from set a or set b) and two objects to "pop out" and "hide."
The goal is to draw the objects somewhere in each frame and then draw things around the object to make it pop out in one frame and to hide it in the other.
The challenge is to use similar, yet not the same distractors (or hiders). Please do not use color, extreme scale changes, etc.
Fellow students or instructor should look at results
- before the parameters are indicated and
- before "pop-out" or "hide" under each frame are circled

Assessment

Review by fellow students or instructor to assess whether one frame causes object to pop out and the other hides it.
A second review to confirm initial reactions or troubleshoot problems.