[IxDA Discuss] Graphical methods for displaying time elapsed

[dnp607]

> Can you provide a _good deal_ more detail on the application,  
> audience and functional goals?

Thanks for the response Will. Frustratingly, no. I'm sure it would  
yield excellent results from this learned group to give more detail,  
but I'll have to settle for collecting different UI methods of  
displaying a few alarms in relation to time.

> You mention "many alarms" in several different classes over a 30- 
> minute session, and indicate that the user will probably be  
> required to simultaneously track both current alarms and past  
> alarms, using only a simple graphical display. That doesn't sound  
> like a pleasant user experience no matter what how you design the  
> data presentation, and quite possibly could lead to a large number  
> of user errors while using the application.

I correct my statement about "many alarms", it is only 3 types (let's  
say "Good' 'Not so Good' and "Bad"). Your point about having users  
juggle current and past alarms, however, is most salient. I'm  
researching different options for a graphical display of when an  
alarm occurs in relation to time, but it can be accompanied by text  
as well (such as a rolling log). The user needs to know two things:  
Which of three alarm states are occurring right now, and which have  
occurred within a 30 minute window.

Ari, thank you for the pie chart suggestion, that's a good one.

I've also seen time (again, progress related) represented as a  
circular graphic, such as when a Mac boots up.

Any other novel representations of time or an event in time?

Regards,
-Dan

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Dan Peknik * NASA Ames Research Center
        San Jose State University, ID HF/E
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