What I did and why I did it.
To begin my research for project 3, Interrogate the Interface, I first needed to create a login to the site. After doing so, I wasn’t sure where to begin so I found a link that directed me to a tutorial on YouTube.
After watching the tutorial, I felt more comfortable exploring the tool and decided to create my own mini timeline project, as this is probably the best way to get to know the inner working of the tool. I chose to create a timeline of the motorcade route of John F. Kennedy on the day he was assassinated.
To do so, I had to choose the map that I wanted, which was the current map of the US. History in Motion (HiM) provides a few maps as templates. Then, I created the route. I chose to make it blue with an arrow following the route. I found out that there are many options to jazz up these sort of things.
Here is a look at the entire route that I created, detailed with exact times of the start of the motorcade at approximately 11:52 am, and when JFK is shot at 12:30 am.
These are some of the events I created. They signify the start of the motorcade as well as when JFK is shot.
I learned there is more that be visualized other than just the start and end of things. Areas can be mapped out. I decided to create an area of the perspective that Lee Harvey Oswald had from the exact positioning he had in the building where he shot JFK. 
I’m continuing to do research with this tool. I hope to learn how to incorporate pictures and potentially sound. I’m hoping that this interface can incorporate all 5 modes of communication. What I have discovered so far is that it incorporates the visual, linguistic, spatial, and gestural modes.
While I was working and researching, I began to make a list of affordances and constraints. I would post the list but I don’t want to get ahead of myself!!
I fly out of town tonight so when I get back I’ll begin working on the writer/designer analysis questions and start planning my essay. I’m very excited about this tool so far!
“The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.”
-Charles Baudelaire
