Home

Published by MacroVU Press in support of the Visual Language Project at Stanford University, which is directed by Robert E. Horn, author of Visual Language: Global Communication for the 21st Century.

The UPDATE summarizes the research and applications of visual language and information design.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

In this issue
1. Welcome to Update
2. Quick intro -- What is visual language?
3. Our visual language project
4. Information Mapping and Visual Language
5. First publication -- Visual Language book
6. Second publication -- Mapping Great Debates: Can Computers Think?
7. Exhibit: Information Design as Fine Art, InfoArcadia, The Hague
8. Research -- Sweller and Chandler Focus On Cognitive Load Theory
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. WELCOME TO UPDATE

The publication of a 6-page feature article in the international journal "New Scientist" <http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990710/beyond.html> focused attention on our project. We've been asked a lot of questions about the field, so we've launched this newsletter.

Our goal is to keep you up-to-date on developments in the field of visual language and visual information design. We will summarize the projects we're working on,both research and applications. We'll review important books and articles in the field and present brief critiques of important issues in the field. We thank our publisher, MacroVU Press, for its support of this newsletter.
---Bob Horn, Project Director

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. QUICK INTRO: WHAT IS VISUAL LANGUAGE?

We define visual language in this project as the tight integration of words and visual elements and regard it as a truly new language with the distinct syntax and semantics we expect of a language. We believe that visual language is the best tool we have for managing the world's ever-increasing complexity and the augmented speed at which our civilization moves. At the same time we insist that visual language must not oversimplify our problems.

We argue that this new language, emerging around us, is a prelude to far-reaching changes in the very manner in which we will communicate in the next century. The creation of visual language emerges from people around the world inventing components out of necessity to communicate about the ever-increasing complexity of our lives. Visual language is being synthesized from previously separate vocabularies as diverse as computer flow charts, business process diagrams, and cartoons and animation. It has grown and spread organically and globally in ways that artificially created international languages--like Esperanto, which was invented by a single person--have never done. In a significant sense, it is already an international language of technology, science, and business.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. OUR VISUAL LANGUAGE PROJECT

Our project focuses its efforts on investigating the systematics of visual language as a medium in all forms and media. Our first research has focused on exploring the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of the language. We have produced a book focusing on these topics and have used visual language in a major series of philosophical posters around the topic of whether computers will ever be able to think. Another emphasis of our project in the future will be to systematize information design as a way of using visual language for practical projects in science, technology, business, education, and journalism.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. INFORMATION MAPPING AND VISUAL LANGUAGE

The director of the Visual Language project, Robert E. Horn, is well-known as the researcher who developed the Information Mapping® method of structured writing. Over the past 20 years this method has become a standard approach to analyzing, organizing, sequencing, and presenting primarily textual documents in business, industry, and government. At its foundation is a powerful taxonomy of 40 information blocks that enable writers to reliably sort 80 percent of a subject matter. Visual language can be thought of as a different way of looking at communication units, displayed on screen or in print. Here the most important question is "What do words do best and what do visual elements do best, when they are tightly integrated?" This means that structured writing documents, such as those done with the Information Mapping method, can be reanalyzed to provide more rapid learning and browsing of subject matter.

For more on Information Mapping: <http://www.infomap.com>
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5. FIRST PUBLICATION: VISUAL LANGUAGE BOOK

You can find out more about these ideas from the Project Director's book, "Visual Language: Global Communication for the 21st Century." It is actually several books in one: an introduction to the basic concepts of visual language; a concise history of some 70 major innovations that form the core history of the language; a survey of the research on the emerging syntax and semantics of the language; and a practical guide to the applications of visual language.

It is also the first book to use visual language itself to describe and analyze that language. By its use of visual language on every page, the book demonstrates that visual language is an immensely flexible and effective communication tool. Readers will not only learn about visual language, but will have the full experience of total immersion.

For further information: <http://www.macrovu.com/VLBkAboutTheBook.html>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. PUBLICATION: MAPPING GREAT DEBATES -- CAN COMPUTERS THINK?

The other recent product of our project is Mapping Great Debates: Can Computers Think?, a series of 7 poster-sized wall maps that chart the entire history of the intelligent machines debate. The project charts the arguments put forth since 1950 by more than 380 cognitive scientists, philosophers, artificial intelligence researchers, mathematicians, psychologists, and others.

Each map plots over 100 major claims, each of which is summarized succinctly and placed in visual relationship to the other arguments that it supports or disputes. Claims are further organized into more than 70 issue areas, or types, of arguments. There are over 800 major claims, rebuttals, and counter-rebuttals deemed to be original and important enough in the argument to be represented.

Each of the 3 ft. x 4 ft. maps are elegantly printed in color. They contain several hundred icons, illustrations, and over 60 photographs to help the reader navigate through the maps and provide easy-to-return-to landmarks.

Accompanying the set of maps is a small handbook containing a complete bibliography with more than 450 citations, an index of the protagonists, an introduction to the mapmaking methodology, an in-depth exploration of the cartographic metaphor, a discussion of the major criteria for selecting the arguments, and a list of frequently asked questions on making and using the maps.

To see what the maps look like and how they work, visit the publisher's website: <http://www.macrovu.com/CCTGeneralInfo.html>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7. EXHIBIT: INFORMATION DESIGN AS FINE ART, INFOARCADIA, THE HAGUE

The Mapping Great Debates maps (described in no. 6 above) have been a part of the InfoArcadia Exhibit. This is the first major international exhibit of information design art. It was shown at the gallery of the Stroom Center for Public Art, The Hague, The Netherlands, January 22 - April 22, 2000. Worth noting is that the maps have received a full-page review in the journal Nature this year, as well as appearing in this fine arts exhibit. We believe it to be a rare occurrence for the same publication to be equally acknowledged by the art and science worlds.

For further information: <http://www.stroom.nl> (Note: the site is in Dutch, but there is a description of the InfoArcadia Exhibit in English.)

For further details on exhibit and the 21 international information design artists represented in the exhibit:
<http://www.macrovu.com/CCTInfoArcadiaPressRelease.html>
<http://www.macrovu.com/CCTInfoArcadiaBackgrndr.html>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. RESEARCH: SWELLER AND CHANDLER FOCUS ON COGNITIVE LOAD THEORY

Among the basic research results we've relied on most heavily are those of John Chandler and John Sweller of the University of New South Wales. They have focused a series of studies over the past decade on what we regard as the critical defining feature of visual language -- the tight integration of words and visual elements. They've studied a large number of different
learning populations with close to a dozen different subject matters. The basic research design is to compare two (or more) versions of the same material for speed and accuracy of learning. The control version keeps the visual material separate from the text. The experimental version tightly integrates text and visual elements (such as diagrams). The tightly integrated material almost always scores significantly higher and/or takes less time to learn.

John Sweller is currently a Visiting Professor at Haifa University. For further information: <http://construct.haifa.ac.il/fronts/dec98/swell_cv.htm>

They explain their research with "cognitive load theory", which points at the limits of short term memory as explaining the differences in the experimental and control groups. This is well described in a paper by Graham Cooper, also at the University of New South Wales at: <http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/education/CLT_NET_Aug_97.HTML>

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The VISUAL LANGUAGE UPDATE is free.

To subscribe/unsubscribe, email <info@macrovu.com> Apologies for any multiple recipients of this issue.

Editor and Publisher: Robert E. Horn, visiting scholar, Stanford University <http://www.stanford.edu/~rhorn>

Please share the Visual Language Update with your friends and colleagues; we ask only that you keep the fine print attached:

Entire contents copyright 2000 R. E. Horn
The Visual Language Project at Stanford University