Data Visualization at Oredev
The next collection of tales from Oredev focuses on data visualization. The first conversation is with Alastair Allan, talking about his experiences in visualizing the GPS tracking data stored by every iPhone 4. While it was generally known that the iPhone kept a record of every GPS location and WiFi connection, it was not until Alasdair's visualization application let anyone (especially reporters) see on a map exactly what was in their own phone that the story became a sensation. Next, a conversation with Jon Dahl about minimalist programming and it's impact on the readability of code - a different, yet still important type of visualization. Finally the show ends with a conversation with Nora Herting and Heather Willems of ImageThink. ImageThink was at Oredev to create, in real time, graphic visualizations of the keynotes and conference sessions. While not technical specialists themselves, Nora and Heather talk about how really listening to lectures and conversations about technology provides cues for what is important in the visualizations. Visualizations have power!
Guests:
Alastair Allan
Alasdair Allan is the author of Learning iPhone Programming and Programming iPhone Sensors published by O'Reilly Media. He is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter working on machine learning and its applications in real time, real world, systems. He also runs a small technology consulting business writing bespoke software, building open hardware and providing training.
Jon Dahl
Jonathan is co-founder of Zencoder, a Y Combinator-backed startup that provides awesome video encoding as a service in the cloud. Before Zencoder, ran a Ruby on Rails development shop, blogged at http://railspikes.com, wrote a Master's thesis on philosophy and theology, and tried (unsuccessfully) to become a Lisp hacker.
ImageThink
Heather Willems and Nora Herting are co-founders of ImageThink, a graphic recording firm. By transforming ideas into powerful visuals, ImageThink increases engagement, retention, and creativity for participants in meetings of all kinds. Imagethink supports strategy workshops, innovation sessions, and brainstorms in industries as different as healthcare to aerospace. Both have backgrounds as educators. Nora taught both at The Ohio State University and Denison University. Heather taught at Minnesota Center for Photography, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and The Ohio State University. When not graphic recording, Nora can be found making fine art photography, while Heather focuses on illustrations that use text as image. As fine artists, they have exhibited their work individually throughout the United States. Heather and Nora live in Brooklyn, NY and travel to work around the country.
Links:
- ImageThink http://www.imagethink.net/