Capstone — Week 11

A Physical Visualization Exploration

Photo of heatmap prototype finalized a few weeks ago, representing a yoga practice over two years (paper on corkboard, 36" x 27").

In “Week 11,” I took another pivot from the large heatmap visualization, though similar, to small multiples. After creating the larger prototype, I found small multiples to be more manageable for time and space. And they would allow me to share more data by using a calendar layout (something familiar to audiences) for the mapping including the day and date of the week a yoga practice took place.

I started by mapping a single month through digital sketching and layout of the data. I included the time of practice, the duration (which is intended to be represented as depth) and the level or type of practice.

Preliminary sketches for small multiples.

I included the data language previously created and played with more enticing colors to visualize the practice. I also started to play with incorporating the intention set for the practice simplified to a single word or a short phrase. (Intentions are qualities one wishes to cultivate in themselves through their practice.)

Preliminary mapping sketch created in InDesign.

Feedback

With the completed physical prototype and the new direction of exploration in small multiples, I revisited with stakeholders and other designers who met with me early in my exploration and through the process so far, as well as chatted with a yoga expert who has practiced and taught for three decades. The feedback and findings were interesting, sometimes surprising and always helpful.

Here are a few things that were reinforced and new things learned.

• The audience can read and make sense of the mapping. (Fantastic! This is great news!)
• They were attracted to the color palette of the large heatmap. (Those colors were not meant to be the final, but rather from paper I happened to already have. But good to know.)
• Seeing another practitioner's data was appreciated and gave comfort to other practitioners. I suppose they can see themselves in the data.
• Seeing the varied number of practices per month and that varied level of classes practiced even when the intermediate level was reached was appreciated. It was felt that seeing gentle classes mixed in was the practitioner taking yoga to a deeper level and honoring both yoga and self. Apologies if I’m getting a little out there. (But this appreciation leads back to the audience being able to read the map and the reinforcing that the maps can tell a story with deeper meaning not just to the person whose data is being used but by the audience as well. Certainly, different people may have different insights.)
• Tracking can go beyond the act of movements to something deeper such as the setting of intentions and the transformations whether it be physical, behavioral, mental or spiritual.

The Design Kit

As for a kit to help others track their practice, we chatted on that too. Something easy to do that is in one’s physical space (but not taking up too much space) was most valued. For some, it was just tracking when there was a practice and the motivation, or even days there was no practice and why.

I hope to explore this kit idea further in the coming weeks. Let’s see where this all leads.