A Stranger to Words: Visualizing the Journey of Language Learning

An Interactive Network Graph by Meng Chih Chiang

'A Stranger to Words' is an interactive network graph created by Meng Chih Chiang to visualize her personal learning experience. This innovative project is based on her daily reading report, which generated a personal database of 23,358 words. The goal of this project is to reveal the underlying text algorithm in a novel and insightful way, while also unfolding personal sentiments as a dyslexic through the capabilities of data visualization.

The graph consists of 4,525 nodes and 17,648 edges, with each word represented by four properties: known/unknown, letter length, syllable length, and frequency of occurrence. For example, the word "People" would connect to nodes representing "Known," "Occurrence 3," "Length 8," and "Syllable 2." The size of each node in the graph is determined by the number of connections it has, with larger circles indicating more connections.

Interacting with 'A Stranger to Words' allows users to zoom in and explore the network graph, enabling a closer examination of individual words. Rolling over any node reveals the four properties associated with the word, while rolling over a property node displays all the words that share that trait.

Meng Chih Chiang faced several challenges during the creation of this project. One of the main hurdles was generating a personal text dataset instead of relying on existing ones. She meticulously recorded all the words she encountered over a long period of time and used Excel programming to display the logic and mathematical thinking behind the visualization.

The result is a visually stunning representation of Meng Chih Chiang's learning journey as a dyslexic. 'A Stranger to Words' not only provides new insights into her experience but also offers fresh perspectives on English reading. Through this project, she hopes to transform the struggles of depression and frustration into a fantastic and imaginative production.

'A Stranger to Words' was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in 2016 in the category of Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design. This prestigious accolade recognizes designs that demonstrate outstanding creativity, resourcefulness, and technical skills. By incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology, this project contributes to improving the quality of life and making the world a better place.