1. Visual Encoding and Interactive Analysis in Data Visualization

Course Schedule

Date: July 19, 2025, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Wenxuan Hall

Description

Data visualization aims to assist users in discovering, understanding, and exploring data features, structures, and patterns through visual perception, thereby acquiring knowledge. A complete visualization analysis cycle framework starts with data and ends with distilled knowledge. In this process, effectively utilizing visual perception and user interaction are two key "tools" for acquiring knowledge: visualization should fully leverage human visual perception capabilities, applying visual perception theories and models to effectively and elegantly encode data to enhance understanding; users explore data through interaction techniques and determine visualization parameters.

This course consists of three parts: content lectures, group discussions, and results presentations. In the content lecture section, we will systematically introduce the basic principles of visual perception, core models, design guidelines, and common interaction techniques, using the visualization analysis cycle framework as the main line, and explain the specific applications of these techniques in scientific visualization. In the group discussion section, we will provide a visualization topic, and participants will brainstorm data, analysis tasks, and scientific questions in groups, experiencing the entire visualization design process from basic mark selection to visual channel encoding to interaction method construction to explain or explore the proposed scientific questions. In the results presentation section, participants will present their designed data visualizations, interactive interfaces, and interaction methods, discussing how the used visual elements (marks, visual channels) effectively represent data features and how interaction methods help users further explore data.

Course Speakers

Min Lu

Shenzhen University

Speaker Bio: Min Lu is an Associate Professor and Ph.D. supervisor in the Department of Urban Spatial Information Engineering at Shenzhen University, and the head of the Spatial Creative Intelligence and Interaction Research Group. His research focuses on the intelligent generation and interaction of spatial creativity such as stylized maps. In recent years, he has published multiple papers in international conferences such as SIGGRAPH, CVPR, VIS, and ACM CHI in the fields of graphics, computer vision, visualization, and human-computer interaction. He has hosted two National Natural Science Foundation projects and several projects from Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City. He has received several awards including Best Paper Nomination at IEEE PacificVis 2024, Best Paper Nomination at Computational Visual Media 2020, Best Poster Award at IEEE PacificVis 2018, Best Paper Award at ICUI 2017, and Best Poster Award at ChinaVis 2016. He serves as a program committee member for conferences such as ACM SIGGRAPH Asia, IEEE PacificVis, and ChinaVis, and has been a long-term reviewer for IEEE VIS, IEEE TVCG, ACM TIST, among others. For more information, please visit his personal homepage: https://deardeer.github.io/.

Jun Tao

Sun Yat-sen University

Speaker Bio: Jun Tao is an Associate Professor at Sun Yat-sen University and a Ph.D. supervisor. He obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan Technological University in 2015 and worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Notre Dame from 2015 to 2018. His main research interests include the visualization of large-scale scientific simulation data, especially the application of deep learning, information theory, optimization methods, and interactive exploration methods in flow field visualization, as well as the research of high-performance analysis methods for large-scale scientific data. His personal homepage is: https://juntao.org/.

2. Growing Trees with Our Forest

Course Schedule

Date: July 19, 2025, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: Qinghefang Hall

Description

This course focuses on the core theme of "Information Visualization", aiming to explore the art and science of data representation through systematic theoretical explanations and practical operations. The course will revolve around how to transform complex data into intuitive visual forms, with a focus on analyzing the key roles of visual creativity and visual symbols in information transmission within linear models. The content covers the theoretical foundations of information visualization, including its basic concepts, historical development, and the role of visual encoding in information readability and understanding; at the same time, it will delve into the structure and semantic functions of knot symbols using Inca quipu as an example, revealing the unique value of symbolic systems in information storage and transmission. In the practical session, participants will present important nodes in their personal lives through rope weaving, constructing narrative visual works using elements such as rope length, color, and knot types to explore the possibilities of emotional expression in information visualization. Additionally, the course will guide participants to critically think about the impact of design decisions on information transmission through classic and contemporary case analyses, emphasizing the integration of creativity and aesthetics while meeting functional requirements. Through this course, participants will master theoretical knowledge and practical skills in information visualization, understand the role of visual symbols in information transmission, enhance creative expression and narrative abilities, and develop critical analysis skills for information visualization works, enabling them to independently create deep and creative information visualization works.

Course Speakers

Wenjia Gu

China Academy of Art

Speaker Bio: Associate Professor at the School of Visual Communication, China Academy of Art, currently engaged in research on digital media art, information graphic design, and design education. Her works have been exhibited at the Milan Triennale in Italy, Zhejiang Art Museum, Shanghai West Bund Dome Art Center, and other venues. She has participated in the planning of exhibitions and events such as "2020 Tianwen: Dialogue of Worldviews", "2023 Tianwen 2: Mutual Learning of Civilizations", and "Stored in: 2022 Fourth Hangzhou International Fiber Art Exhibition". She has been involved in several provincial and ministerial research projects, such as the Ministry of Education Humanities and Social Sciences Youth Fund Project "Research on Interactive Design Methodology". She has authored textbooks such as "Content and Graphic Design", "Humanities Foundation", "Design Humanities Foundation", and "Brief History of Chinese and Foreign Art", among which "Brief History of Chinese and Foreign Art" was selected as a national planning textbook for vocational education by the Ministry of Education during the 12th Five-Year Plan, "Humanities Foundation" and "Content and Graphic Design" were selected as provincial first-class undergraduate textbooks during the 13th Five-Year Plan in Zhejiang Province, and "Humanities Foundation" was selected as a provincial ideological and political demonstration course. She has participated in the construction of a national first-class undergraduate course "Modeling Basics" and co-authored the 12th Five-Year Plan textbook "Information Interaction Design". She has published several academic papers in domestic and international core journals.

Yue Ren

China Academy of Art

Speaker Bio: PhD candidate and independent curator at the School of Visual Communication, China Academy of Art. Focused on systematic narrative, conducting cross-media research practices in content and curation, as well as visual and editorial fields. Curated the exhibition "Magic Tricks: The Backstage Performance of the Simulated World", which was selected for the Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum’s "Youth Curatorial Project 2024"; served as assistant curator for the "Being Theoria" 4th Hangzhou Fiber Art Triennial, and executive curator for "Tianwen 2020: Dialogue of Worldviews" and "Tianwen 2023: Mutual Learning of Civilizations", winning the "Design Interconnection" Design Curatorial Program Research Partner Award. Participated in the 2024 Higher Education Research Project of the Zhejiang Higher Education Society, "Research on Curriculum Construction Practice Based on Knowledge Graph Technology", among other research projects; contributed to the compilation of textbooks "Humanities Foundation" and "Content and Graphic Design", which were selected as provincial first-class undergraduate textbooks during the 13th Five-Year Plan in Zhejiang Province. Her works have been exhibited at the Zhejiang Art Museum, Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai Oil Tank Art Center, and other venues; academic papers have been published in domestic and international journals such as "Contemporary Art".