ABSTRACT

In contrast to the mapping of the materiality of ICTs, in this chapter we discuss attempts to create spatialisations of cyberspace. Here, data with no inherent spatial properties is mapped onto a defined spatial framework so that it might be better understood. These spatialisations employ a number of graphical techniques and visual metaphors ranging from two-dimensional static representations to immersive three-dimensional landscapes. The best of these spatialisations are providing striking and powerful images that give people a unique sense of the space, arguably in a manner similar to the Apollo images, which gave people a new understanding of the Earth (Cosgrove 1994). In general, these spatialisations have been created by academic researchers from the disciplines of computer graphics, information design, human-computer interaction, virtual reality, information retrieval and scientific visualisation (see McCormick et al. 1987; Laurel 1990; Tufte 1990; Holtzman 1997; Johnson 1997; Shneiderman 1997; Wurman 1997; Jacobson 1999), although a number of companies have also experimented in the development of commercial spatialisation products (e.g., Visual Insights, Perspecta, Inxight Software and Cartia).1 A consequence of this research has been the formation and growth of a new, distinct research field, information visualisation, that has particular focus on developing and improving the interface between user and the information spaces of the Internet (see Gershon and Eick 1995a and b; Card et al. 1999; Chen 1999).