Linear
Radial
Grid
Spiral
Arbitrary
Expressive Storytelling with Timelines
Lightning Talk @ Dagstuhl Seminar 16061: Data-Driven Storytelling
by Matt Brehmer, Bongshin Lee, Benjamin Bach, Nathalie Henry Riche, & Tamara Munzner.
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
Timeline storytelling design space
Joseph Priestley’s “A Chart of Biography” (1769)
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
Representation
Timeline storytelling design space
Representation
Radial
Grid
Spiral
Arbitrary
Chrono–
logical
Relative
Logarithmic
Sequential
Sequential +
Interim
Duration
Unified
(single
timeline)
Faceted
(multiple
timelines)
Segmented
timeline
Faceted +
Segmented
Scale
Linear
Layout
Scale
Layout
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
Timeline narrative points
Chronology & duration of events
Types of events
Number & distribution of events
Chronological range
Sequences of events
Periodic repetition (and deviations)
Daily, seasonal cycles
Synchronicity / co-occurrences
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
20 recommended timeline designs
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8
15
Narrative point: present
chronology, duration of
events.
Perceptual task: bar length
and position judgment.
Comments: supported by
most tools.
2
Narrative point: compare
chronology, duration,
periodicity of events b/w
months, weeks, days.
Perceptual task: count and
position judgments.
Comments: only supports
consecutive events.
9
16
Narrative point: compare
chronology, duration of
events b/w facets; present
synchronicities (coinciding
events).
Perceptual task: bar length
and position comparisons.
Comments: —
3
@mattbrehmer, UBC
Narrative point: compare
relative chronology,
duration of events b/w
facets; present relative
synchronicities.
Perceptual task: bar length
and position comparisons.
Comments: —
10
Narrative point: compare
chronology, duration,
periodicity of events b/w
segments.
Perceptual task: bar length
and position comparisons.
—
InfoVis Comments:
Group
Narrative point: present a
sequence of events.
Perceptual task: arc
position judgments.
Comments: appeal*,
square aspect ratio.
Narrative point:
(approximately) compare
lengths of sequences b/w
facets.
Perceptual task: arc length
comparisons.
Comments: appeal*
17
5
Narrative point: compare
relative chronology,
duration of events b/w
facets.
Perceptual task: arc length
and position comparisons.
Comments: appeal*
Narrative point: present a
sequence of events.
Perceptual task: area
judgment.
Comments: appeal*, more
compact than #15.
Dagstuhl 16061
Timeline story: Routines of creative people
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
Infographic: Routines of creative people
Podio. https://podio.com/site/creative-routines
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061
Infographic: Routines of creative people
RJ Andrews (2014). http://www.infowetrust.com/creative-routines/
@mattbrehmer, UBC InfoVis Group
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Dagstuhl 16061