If you want to build data visualizations, games or generative art then this is the class for you. We'll start with the basic API to create rectangles, circles, lines and text. Then we'll tweak compositing settings and learn how to use requestAnimationFrame for smart animating. We will touch upon the difference between Canvas and HTML/SVG/WebGL so that you know when to use the right technology. By the end of the class you will learn how to draw on the web using HTML5 Canvas and JavaScript.

Psst: though we won't be using any libraries for this class, a general understanding of HTML and JavaScript is recommended to make the most out of it.

About your Instructor

Kai Chang develops web-based data visualizations using open data and he works with companies as a freelancer, developing reporting dashboards. His specialty is high-dimensional visualization in parallel coordinates.

Kai's interest in visualization grew from his studies of Astrophysics and Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia. Some of Kai's open-source contributions have included a workflow for the USDA Nutrition Database, a math package for the Miso Project and several example visualizations and experiments. Another current project is an interactive editor for CoffeeScript programming in the browser. Kai is also co-organizer for the Bay Area d3.js Meetup, providing a space for professional visualization developers and data scientists to collaborate.

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