Posted by Britt Griswold for  Katy Law:

I am finishing my Interaction Design degree in San Francisco and I am in the middle of my Thesis project. I am trying to bring to light, the stories or contexts behind Color Cluster Heat Maps and the trends they reveal.

Background / Goal: My hypothesis is that the problem exists in the arbitrary color key/scale that is often used (example scale http://1drv.ms/1dvHb1Z). I am working on adjusting the HSV values of pre-existing Color Cluster Maps and studying Ansel Adams's Zoning System for photography to guide me in creating standardized color scales.

I have also experimented with R through a tutorial and tried using my own data as well.

For my final exhibit, I want to reference the issues scientists and researchers have in creating these maps and how they work with the color scale. Also, I am working on a few design concepts.

Questions: I wonder if I can ask you and or other experts you know who uses colormaps a few questions that I've put together. I want to get more information and gather the pain points on storytelling through data and color use in these maps? If you are within this scope of expertise, here is a link to the questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1LDKkcfOAVBzb7RIlg4sTDykznBkkfBiBclZ7qC20xHM/viewform

Thank you for your time!
Katy Law


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