Content Description
Levels of information
Unlike conventional timelines in print format, which have to present all the information in parallel, the digital interface allows both different information levels to be defined and more information to be provided from level to level. Thus, to begin with, the Timeline interface shows a database entry only as an icon consisting of a title and cropped image. Rolling over the icon calls up the subtitle and author. If the icon is clicked, further information appears. By virtue of the connection to the database and the structuring of the information, the Timeline interface allows very large volumes of data to be visualized.
Focusing time
Each track shows the database entries of a category temporally arranged according to the moment in time when the event or project described originated. Moving the slide control on the time bar back and forth has the effect of going backwards and forwards in time, i.e. an earlier or later period of time is displayed in the interface. If the time window of the slide control is enlarged, the time period displayed in the interface also becomes bigger, and the database entries move visually closer together. Making the time window smaller has the opposite effect, namely that the time period displayed is shorter and hence can be more precisely focused.
Selecting content
However, the database entries displayed in the interface can be selected not just in terms of the time period but also from the point of view of content. The search function enables a targeted selection with regard to the concept entered, while restricting the selection of the keywords allows all the database entries for the selected keywords to be displayed. Restricting the content via the search function or keywords causes unwanted parts of the database entries to fade into the background, and hence creates a specific timeline for the selected terms. Seen in this way, the Timeline interface comprises an infinite number of thematic timelines.