By MONICA ULMANU

There is no coincidence that Powering A Nation is working on three major interactive pieces this year and all include game elements. I have recently come across to one of the first research papers that study the application of formal elements of game-based information graphics and it suggests that these types of interactives generate increased exploration of the data space by users as compared to the regular version of the graphic. The Evolution of An Energy Bill, the interactive I am producing, is composed of two parts:

1. A step-by-step process that leads the user through the history of The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, from the day it was first introduced in the House to the day it was signed into law by President Bush, and

2. A pass-your-own-bill game, in which the user gets to be a senator and is forced to make compromises in order to pass his own energy bill.

The three-dimensional model of the US Capitol built for The Evolution of An Energy interactive; by Monica Ulmanu

Reasons for choosing the game-y approach

First of all, games can be seen as an alternative method of structuring a story, less bound by linear narrative. In the inception phase, our thinking evolved from the premise that the way a story is presented to a user and the types of interactions afforded have a big impact on the exploration of the data set.

We decided that the graphic is the main frame and all the game elements serve the graphic and not vice versa.The mechanics of the game involve successfully passing a bill, under real-life constraints such as lobbying influences and procedures used in the House or in the Senate. The user needs to go through several steps in the process of trying to pass the bill and this provides a certain structure to the interaction with the graphic, while in the same time allowing the journalists to focus attention on the main elements of the graphic.

In this context, if we were to draw an axis of interactivity and place different formats of infographics along, it would look more or less like this:

Videographics (or motion graphics) are narrated walk-throughs of some infographics. The paper mentioned above refers to this mode of storytelling as the landmark narrative since the user is guided between some pre-selected set of landmarks in the data set. Flexible narratives are those stories in which particular landmarks are selected and the user is transitioned between them in a way that allows him to stop and explore the data set at points in between landmarks. The Evolution of An Energy Bill stands at the other end of the axis, where there are undirected information visualizations; they allow the users to explore the data space with greater flexibility, according to whatever is of most interest to them.

This type of graphics also has another advantage in addition to allowing users to engage more efficiently with the data. The game is fully dynamically programmed, so different data sources can be plugged in easily.

Game elements

There are several elements that can be incorporated into infographics: rules, goals, competition, advancement and the notion of "winning." From a storytelling perspective, selecting the goals, rules and criteria for passing the bill form the editorial core for building an effective information graphic game.

There is also a certain environment that needs to be created and, in the case of our politics game, we preferred to build a simulated reality (with a three-dimensional model of the US Capitol) rather than an abstract one.

Further research

After all is programmed and published, there are still questions that need answers. How will the game elements of the graphic influence the users' perception? Will they have a different understanding of the graphic if presented as a game?

By MONICA ULMANU

[Welcome in the graphics muse. Let her wait in the doorway until you check all that applies.]

TO BE AN INFOGRAPHICS ARTIST YOU MUST HAVE:

	an understanding of the graphics syntax: graphic objects, graphic spaces and their properties		pleasure to read, laugh, read, study and read about graphics
	endless empathy for the users		the constant urge to look at other graphics
	a fascination with underground maps		a MacBook Pro
	+30 design books checked out from the library		enough self-confidence to buck the trends
	respect for numbers and their straight-forwardness		a chance to use Isotype at least once in your lifetime
	an unconventional spouse		passion for Italian espresso
	an eye for good design		blue eyes
	a body that knows when it's NOT the right time to rest		a thinking style that contextualizes information by all means
	visual memory		at least one good friend who understands graphics and has just recently moved to Seattle
	ability to use both sides of the brain		a new sketchbook every year and a child around who uses it for his own drawings
	style		a collector's mentality
	curiosity		cool buggy sunglasses for when you actually go outside

[ Lure the graphics muse with coffee and start working. Come back to Powering A Nation to check out our infographics.]
* The list was inspired by Art Direction Explained at Last! by Steven Heller + Veronique Vienne

 

Graphics by Monica Ulmanu. 

Not any infographic should use three-dimensional models. But sometimes 3D art can do a better job explaining how something works or show a structure and its components. This is the case with two of the infographics I am currently working on.



The first is a mountain, whose top has been blasted with explosives in what is called Mountaintop removal (MTR). I completed the model in 4-5 full days. The most difficult part was texturing it. I used real photos of MTR and created the textures in Photoshop, using the Maya command Create PSD Network. For a more complex model, in which texture details are important, PSD networks work really well, allowing me to draw each part of the texture separately and then blend them nicely. Look at how many shades, colors and vegetation types are present with this mountain. It will accompany Chris's story and show the before-after stages.

 

The second one is a windmill. This is a simpler model, for which I needed all the exact measurements (to keep the proportions), details of components and a good texture. Well, the texture seems a dirty white. In fact, it is a selection of a real photo of the windmill I have visited in Texas, edited in Photoshop to create a seamless texture (pattern) and applied in Maya. The infographic will show the windmill's components and how a windmill operates.

Be proactive. This is what I have learned in my Infographics class last semester. Go out, take pictures, talk to people, record sounds, take notes, draw sketches, ask questions. This is what reporters do for their stories. What about graphics? YES. Be proactive.

My next graphic on the list involves creating a 3D model of a windmill, explaining how it works, what are the main components, how they have changed in time etc. One can argue that there is no need to take a trip to Texas, to the community my colleagues are reporting about, just to make a 3D model of a wind turbine. But I can come up with several points that argue in favor of getting that experience.

- There are dozens of models of wind turbines, several sizes and unconventional styles. Which one to recreate? Since my graphic is complementary to a video story, doesn't it make sense to study the model featured in the story?

- For an accurate graphic and high aesthetics, I prefer to create textures for objects and backgrounds in Maya using photos of those particular objects rather than textures I can find in online libraries.

- At the spot you can meet with specialists and use the information they are providing to explain processes. They can give a fresh perspective and interesting hints.

- I find it always rewarding to record audio and add it to the graphic. For example, the sound of a wind turbine.

- It is useful to take photos of the surroundings or to capture unusual perspectives and add them to the graphic. Unfortunately, you need training and many approvals to climb into a wind turbine.

"Information graphics can be fantastic click magnets." (Mindy McAdams)