Visualising Changing Data in 3D
Press release, 5 May 2005
The Television Research Partnership has created new and exciting graph software that can create 2D or 3D animated bubble charts. This software is an excellent tool for presentations where one can truly visualise changes in trends over periods of time in complex information.
For example, understanding the changing behaviour of demographics in a market involves many parameters, such as age, gender, channel genre, time of day, audience share, and viewing habits. An ability to absorb this information—and how the information changes over time—through an intuitive graphical representation could lead to significant competitive advantage.
TRP commissioned Spiral Arm to implement their vision, with Ed Walker supplying the look and feel design of the user interface. Using Java 3D as a platform, Spiral Arm produced a player to render and animate the bubbles, plus a tool to generate bubble information from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Clients install the Bubble Player once, and can then read any number of "bubble files" prepared by TRP.
David Raybould, TRP's research director, worked with Spiral Arm to define and hone the application. With a first class degree in statistics and nine years experience in the field, he is a recognised expert in TV audience measurement and respondent level data in the UK.
The product was developed in a number of iterations, with each producing a release that added functionality. This approach ensured that all parties had a clear understanding of how the project was progressing, and allowed flexibility to adjust the design from experience of using the product.
The Bubble Generator is now available to TRP clients.
Notes:
- Spiral Arm (www.spiralarm.com) is a Brighton based software company, specializing in innovative applications.
- TRP (www.trponline.co.uk), Television Research Partnership, provides information, analysis, sales support, studies and investigation of all television related issues at varying levels of complexity for the clients around the globe.
- Ed Walker (www.edwalker.com) is a creative designer with a focus on information graphics, brand creation and usability.
- Need contact details?
Images
The screen shot shows the Bubbles application displaying information about five TV channels. Each sphere represents a TV channel, and the position and size of the sphere corresponding to attributes of the channel. The arrow buttons at the bottom of the screen allow the scene to be rotated to gain alternative viewing angles. The play and pause buttons stop and start the animation of the bubbles, representing how channels change over time.
