Xiaoying Meng -Looking Outwards 07

(Visualization for Amersterdam SMS messages on New Year’s Eve)

This is a visualization for Amersterdam SMS messages data on New Year’s Eve created by Aaron Koblin. The data is visualized by representing each message with a colored dot vertically on a map. The dataset creates city-like animations.  Interestingly, the vertical tubes go up and down together almost like music beats. The colored dots are denser at certain areas and closer at others, like population. And at 00:00 on New Year’s Eve, the number of data reaches ultimate high. The artist used P5js and OpenGL for the visualization. I appreciate this visualization because it makes the data a lot easier to understand for the viewers.  I guess the artist could be using algorithms such as using one colored dot to represent one message sent, locating them geographically on a map.