Visualization Lab: Size and Scale

Just how small is the nanoscale?

To understand why the nanoscale is different, we need to appreciate just how small it is. Whether creating an exhibit on the color of a butterfly wing or participating in a forum on the health risks of nanomedicine, working with topics in nanoscience requires context to give meaning to sizes and scales. One common way to represent the nanoscale visually relies on scale ladders, diagrams that show how objects are related by size. Using existing research on understanding size and scale, the Visualization Laboratory carried out a series of experiments to develop effective scale ladders as well as guidelines for their design and use.

Downloads

The following resources are available for general use, distribution and modification under Creative Commons. Careful study and evaluation went into the creation of these scale ladders; please download and review "Guidelines for the Design and Use of Scale Ladders" before incorporating them into your own projects.

• Guidelines for the Design and Use of Scale Ladders (PDF, 1.2 MB)
• Scale Ladder Art for Poster Size Printing (PDF, 2.2 MB)
  Includes one ladder with ruler and one ladder without.

• Scale Ladder for Media (Screen) Presentations (PDF, 2.2 MB)
  Includes one ladder with ruler and one ladder without.

• Scale Ladders - Communicating Size and Scale (PDF, 852 KB)
  This report documents a series of interview studies conducted at the Exploratorium to determine how museum visitors interpret scale ladders that focus on the nanoscale.

• Visitors' Drawings of Small (PDF, 286 KB)
  This companion report documents how visitors depict the concept of "small."

A scale ladder for informal educators

The scale ladder at right locates nano in a broader range of measurement. Based on traditional scale ladders (see Designer's Notebook), the purpose is to convey the size of the nanoscale (i.e., nano is smaller than a cell and bigger than an atom) to the widest range of audiences. In this context, it is not intended to be content-rich; on the contrary, it attempts to be visually economical.

By necessity, this type of visualization aims for simplicity; the design goal is clarity, without any one element standing out in a distracting or confusing way. Our design principles follow the advice of data-visualization expert Edward Tufte, avoiding gratuitous elements and retaining only what cannot be removed without losing content. The scale ladder includes four major elements: a specific range, a selection of labeled iconic landmarks, colored and labeled scale domains presented on a vertical wedge, and a side ruler indicating actual measurements of each landmark. Our highest priority is presenting a relative scale highlighting the nanoscale range, with a secondary emphasis on the nanoscale as a domain among other scale domains.