The point of this applet is to explore interaction relationships. Each of the above output channels is driven by the mouse's position over the applet, and by the passage of time. Just pass the cursor over the applet and watch it react.

What are the modes through which information can be represented graphically ? Jacques Bertin gave the following list of "graphical variables" : position, direction (orientation), size, colour, contrast (greyness), grain (texture), and shape. Any of these can be varied, as on a paper graph, to show dependence on some other variable.

As pointed out by John Maeda, computational media are distinguished by their ability to change and react with time. This means we have new "graphical variables" with which to show output: speed and direction of motion, or the speed and nature of any change of any of Bertin's variables. Information comes alive as it is animée by the machinery of computation.

The input available to drive the applet also has rich, temporal qualities: not only is the position of the mouse used, but also its direction, speed, and state (rest versus motion).

Try spending a few moments figuring out how each output channel is related to the (x,y) position of the mouse. Beware however that some of the output depends on pseudo-random variables in addition to the mouse's position.

Compare the overall visual effect obtained by the following actions:

• Quick, violent jerking of the mouse to and fro over the applet
• Smooth, graceful motion in a circle or along a diagonal
• Motion only along the horizontal or the vertical
• Leaving the cursor still
• Putting the cursor to rest in the exact center

The bottom channel, which was the first I decided to implement, comes straight out of chapter 15 of Maeda's Design By Numbers. The other channels were inspired by this first one.

Copyright ( C ) July, 1999, Michael McGuffin