This semester, I built a prototype desktop application I am calling “Oakwood Cemetery: Stories by Numbers” that serves as a navigational tool for viewing and understanding data related to the historic Oakwood Cemetery in downtown Raleigh. At the beginning of this semester, the focus of the project was primarily on data visualization and how the raw data from the organization could be reinterpreted or reimagined into a digestible format. The latter half of this semester was less about data visualization and more about user experience. It was not as critical to devise a way to see the data (charts and graphs were a suitable solution in a graphics based, 2D environment), but instead to focus on the way users were absorbing this content through the hypermediated page.  

 

In all, I am happy with what I achieved. In sticking to a schedule, I found myself meeting my goals faster than anticipated and adding more to my application than what I originally planned. Initially, I had scheduled to build the full navigability of the pages and two navigable “Stories”. Ultimately I was able to implement “live” content in both narratives (the map locations in the “Section” pages as well as the burial data and historical facts in the “Timeline” pages), four additional “Stories”, and an educational page about the marimekko chart. I feel that, despite early setbacks in Adobe Animate, I created an experience where users can navigate the data I was given about Oakwood Cemetery in a new, interesting way. 

 

I can see lots of room for improvement in this application, primarily related to content and interactivity. Related to content, I feel that the most engaging parts of my project are those with images and the least is that with text. (This is largely due to the application being presented on a large touch screen.) The more I can creatively tell a narrative through images, the more engaging I can be to my audience. If I had to critique my project, I would say it is light on imagery and asks for more. 

 

When I imagine a more ideal version of this application, animation and interactivity would be key components. At present, the app is navigable by buttons that slide pages in a specific direction based on the command, but that is the extent of both the animation and the interactivity capabilities. If this application were to one day be actualized into a working program, adding these features into components such as the individual visualizations would contribute to an immersive experience for users. 

 

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I am grateful for having gone through the experiences of working with TouchDesigner and Animate earlier in the semester, even though I did not follow through with these platforms for my final project. The numerical representation aspect of TouchDesigner was especially challenging for me, as well as the spatial geometry components. My lack of coding knowledge also was a contributing factor in my frustration. Ultimately, this tool was not a great fit for me, but I appreciated the opportunity to expand into to this new technology. 

 

Adobe XD was a great compromise for a designer interested in web applications and iOS apps but with no coding experience. I am really happy with the prototype I was able to create and hope that Adobe continues to improve this program (XD was released in 2016). 

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