Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2012. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 91-95). / This thesis details the design, execution and evaluation of a new type of display technology, known as Display Blocks. Display Blocks are a response to two major limitations of current displays: visualization and interaction. Each device consist of six organic light emitting diode screens, arranged in a cubic form factor. I explore the possibilities that this type of display holds for data visualization, manipulation and exploration. To this end, I also propose a series of accompanying applications that leverage the design of the displays. To begin assessing the potential of this platform and to define future directions in which to expand this research, I report on a series of interviews I conducted regarding the potential of Display Blocks with relevant technologists, interaction designers, data visualizers and educators. The work encompassed in this thesis shows the promise of display technologies which use their form factor as a cue to understanding their content. / by Pol Pla i Conesa. / S.M.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 118-125). / As mediated communication becomes an increasingly central part of everyday life, people have started going online to conduct business, to get emotional support, to find communities of interest, and to look for potential romantic partners. Most of these social activities take place primarily through the exchange of conversational texts that, over time, accrue into vast archives. As valuable as these collections of documents may be for our comprehension of the online social world, they are usually cumbersome, impenetrable records of the past. This thesis posits that history visualization- the visualization of people's past presence and activities in mediated environments- helps users make better sense of the online social spaces they inhabit and the relationships they maintain. Here, a progressive series of experimental visualizations explores different ways in which history may enhance social legibility. The projects visualize the history of people's activities in four different environments: a graphical chat room, a wiki site, Usenet newsgroups, and email. History and the persistent nature of online communication are the common threads connecting these projects. Evaluation of these tools shows that history visualizations can be utilized in a variety of ways, ranging from aids for quicker impression formation and mirrors for self-reflection, to catalysts for storytelling and artifacts for posterity. / by Fernanda Bertini Viégas. / Ph.D.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2009. / Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-129). / This thesis presents the design and implementation of MemTable, an interactive touch table that supports co-located group meetings by capturing both digital and physical interactions in its memory. The goal of the project is to demonstrate hardware and software design principles that integrate recording, recalling, and reflection during the life cycle of a project in one tabletop system. MemTable's hardware design prioritizes ergonomics, social interaction, structural integrity, and streamlined implementation. Its software supports heterogeneous input modalities for a variety of contexts: brainstorming, decision making, event planning, and story-boarding. The user interface introduces personal menus, capture elements, and tagging to help identify the context of meeting interactions. It records the history of the implicit and explicit events during meetings. A preliminary evaluation is presented of user feedback on the capture and recall features. A longitudinal design plan outlines a framework for future work that integrates review and reflection functions into a comprehensive system. Additional features are presented for browsing and searching prior meeting data, visualizing long term work patterns, and integrating meeting data with external web services. / by Seth E. Hunter. / S.M.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-163). / by Arno Klein. / M.S.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-84). / by Kathleen Lee Evanco. / M.S.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2004. / Page 175 blank. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 171-174). / The ability to collect, store, and manage data is increasing quickly, but our ability to understand it remains constant. In an attempt to gain better understanding of data, fields such as information visualization, data mining and graphic design are employed, each solving an isolated part of the specific problem, but failing in a broader sense: there are too many unsolved problems in the visualization of complex data. As a solution, this dissertation proposes that the individual fields be brought together as part of a singular process titled Computational Information Design. This dissertation first examines the individual pedagogies of design, information, and computation with a focus on how they support one another as parts of a combined methodology for the exploration, analysis, and representation of complex data. Next, in order to make the process accessible to a wider audience, a tool is introduced to simplify the computational process for beginners, and can be used as a sketch- ing platform by more advanced users. Finally, a series of examples show how the methodology and tool can be used to address a range of data problems, in particular, the human genome. / Benjamin Jotham Fry. / Ph.D.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-50). / by David Alan Becker. / M.S.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-60). / Protocols exist to scalably multicast data to any number of clients. Scalability problems exist because some systems unacceptably increase the load on the server as more clients are added. Scalability can be achieved by hierarchically partitioning the network and by handling error correction between clients. One application for network multicasting is the distribution of video in the same way that television is delivered, replacing the standard antenna or cable service with a digital network using IP. However, clients using multicast implementations, such as the Scalable Media Delivery System, are not equipped to handle display of video in real time. Flaws in the current multicast implementation are identified, and methods of optimization are explored and tested for effectiveness. These optimizations will allow video to be displayed in real time over a network and to appear to the end-user to act like a cable TV system. Accessing the video on clients is done with an innovative interface that allows the user to "carry" the video with him as he travels to different physical locations in the network. / by Constantine Kleomenis Christakos. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [109]-111). / In an age where identity is increasingly fluid and multifaceted, the static clothing and unresponsive materials we wear are often an insufficient means of expression. Clothing designers want to create systems of clothing that react, collect information, and enrich our interactions with spaces and people; however, technical barriers inhibit designers interested in building computational garments. Designers need a tool that is attainable and usable in order to successfully work in the field of computational garment design. This thesis introduces a powerful, intuitive tool named Zuf which provides a new approach to control embedded devices using fuzzy logic. Zuf is a prototyping and simulation environment for programming and testing embedded devices. Users write code by establishing simple, natural language rules. The rules are translated into fuzzy algorithms which run on the devices. Zuf enables fashion designers to think abstractly about computation as a medium. / Megan Lee Galbraith. / S.M.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-81). / Immigrants face a variety of barriers limiting their access to social services. These include inability to speak English, unfamiliarity with available services, and distrust of government agencies. To overcome these obstacles, many immigrants rely on informal social networks for information, advice, and language interpretation. This is an imperfect solution that provides inadequate access for the immigrant and unduly burdens friends and family members. More importantly, it does little to address the social isolation that characterizes much of the immigrant experience and contributes to the disenfranchisement of immigrant communities. Speakeasy is a community-based service that provides telephone-based access to a network of volunteers who provide real-time language interpretation and help navigate complex social service networks. Relying on the constant connectivity afforded by cell phones and wireless devices, Speakeasy overcomes barriers to traditional forms of volunteerism with a "just in time" model of community service. The system also encourages community development efforts by engaging new immigrants and volunteers in community activity, and by fostering a sense of collective identity. A study with members of Boston's Chinatown community showed that Speakeasy is an effective, convenient, and easy to use service that engenders trust among non-English speakers. / by Edward A. Hirsch. / S.M.