Visualisation

Idea and Process

Early on in the project towards the end of digitization campaign after a significant portion of documents had been digitized and some metadata had been collected [see Digitizing], the project experimented with visualization approaches that could be realized with even this rudimentary data and that could quickly be implemented and experimented with. In the end, these approaches were not further developed in this project but are recorded here as small experiments on what directions could be taken in visualizing document collection.

Data Exploration (d3/observablehq)

During the digitization campaign, particular attention was given to preserving the nested structure of Garfinkel’s folders and document sets. This hierarchical organization—ranging from high-level groupings down to individual compartments and items—was carefully documented and encoded into the CSV metadata. Using this structured data, a series of experimental visualizations were developed to explore and interpret the complex relationships within the collection. Among these, Sunburst diagrams proved especially effective for illustrating the multi-level nature of the archive. These visualizations were created using existing tools and platforms, such as Observable HQ, which allowed for dynamic and interactive representations of the data. The overarching aim of this effort was to better understand the internal structure of the sub-collection and to provide an intuitive visual means of navigating the digitized materials.

Sunburst diagram of a portion of the Occasion Maps Collection. The inner circle represents individual digitized folders, envelopes, or books, while the outer rings illustrate deeper levels of the collection hierarchy, such as document sets or folder compartments.
An alternative interactive version of this diagram allows dynamic zooming between the "layers" (click on folder or on center to zoom in and out)

Exploring the Collection: Vikus Viewer

These early experiments were based on the initial metadata table and the first batch of scanned images. They employed the Vikus Viewer—an open-source software platform for visualizing cultural collections developed by the Urban Complexity Lab at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. The Vikus Viewer has served as the foundation for several well-known digital projects, such as the Van Gogh Atlas and Past Visions, enabling rich, exploratory interfaces to complex datasets. The core idea behind this approach to visualization is rooted in the concept of the “generous interface” —a user-centered design philosophy that aims to present users with a broad, inviting view of the collection before requiring them to search or filter . Rather than confronting users with empty search boxes, generous interfaces offer immediate access to the scope, variety, and structure of a collection, encouraging serendipitous discovery and contextual understanding. These early visual experiments explored how such principles could be applied to the digitized Garfinkel collection, helping to reveal its nested structure and inviting new forms of engagement with the material. (Due to pending right issues regarding the material the full interactive instance of the Vikus Viewer can not be publically shared at this time)

Screenshot of Vikus Viewer Instance: Overview of the digitized documents sorted by year with selectable filters/tags on top
Navigating the collection using the Vikus Viewer Prototype

Unfinished or Discontinued Visualization Attempts

Prototype: Visualization of the Archive Using Babylon.js

An early prototype explored the use of the Babylon.js game engine to create a three-dimensional visualization of the archive. The concept involved representing individual archival items as abstracted 3D boxes arranged within a navigable virtual space. This experimental approach aimed to offer an immersive and spatially organized interface for browsing the collection. However, the prototype was eventually abandoned due to limitations in usability, scalability, and interpretability. While visually engaging, the metaphor of 3D boxes lacked the necessary semantic depth to meaningfully convey the complex relationships and metadata associated with archival materials. In addition, the overhead required for maintaining and optimizing a game-engine-based interface was deemed disproportionate to its potential benefit for scholarly users. Despite being discontinued, this experiment contributed valuable insights into the affordances and constraints of immersive visualization techniques in the context of digital archives.

Prototype: 3D Scan of an Archival Folder

This experiment explored how a 3D scan could be used to represent the physical qualities of archival materials. A folder from the Harold Garfinkel Archive was digitized using a basic photogrammetry setup, resulting in a rough 3D model displayed via the Kompakt 3D Viewer. The aim was to test how users might interact with digital versions of physical objects and to highlight the material aspects of folders and documents often lost in standard digitization. While the scan was low-resolution and interaction limited, it offered useful insight into how even simple 3D models can add a sense of depth and context to archival interfaces. The prototype was not developed further, but it raised interesting questions about the role of materiality and user interaction in digital archive design.