Visualizing Voice

In previous posts on creativity, I wrote about the ability to visualize intangible concepts, such as physics, in the case of Einstein, or Damrauer’s New Math. Here is another great example of the art of visualization.

Voice Prints translates human voice - an individual’s specific frequency content - into an abstract representation. Pierre Proske, the artist, does this using a software program he wrote that describes sound via visual units. (The artwork in this post is a stunning example. Pierre calls each visual unit a “viseme”, the visual equivalent of the basic unit of sound, the “phoneme”.)

Understanding ideas enough to get underneath them and translate them to other types media is a skill. It creates innovation opportunities by opening doors, enabling analogy and creating new frameworks for perspective. It’s also a great way to improve your ability to communicate to others whose minds work in different ways.

Challenge yourself to build this skill. Try a variety of frameworks on for size - images (concrete, abstract, illustrative), charts (across a host of information architecture), concepts (math, myth, other forms of narrative), etc. Experiment with different constructs to how they work…and which take you to the most productive places.

Find the ones that work best for you. And by all means, let us know what they are!

http://www.digitalstar.net/projects/voiceprints/index.html