ZiWeiDouShu
Astrology
An Interactive Visual Coding Project To Make Learning Zi Wei
(Purple Start Astrology) Easier
2019-2020
Visual Computing
Graphic Design
OUTCOMES
Coding
BACKGROUND
Metaphysics, in my project, refers to the system or tools that demonstrate and predict the dynamics of people and the world beyond science, such as Zi Wei Astrology in Chinese culture and Constellation in Western culture.
A keen metaphysics enthusiast, I believe in its untapped potential to offer fresh world perspectives. However, learners (myself included) face these hurdles:
Challenges of Learning Astrological Chart Reading
Rote Learning Impossible
Every system has numerous elements to remember, from stars to planets. Their permutations are complex, making rote learning tough and impossible.
Principles Hardly Taught
Existing apps merely present charts and outcomes but lack reasoning, which makes users feeling arbitrary.
Take Zi Wei as an example:
It has 14 main stars split between the northern and southern skies.
Over 100 supplementary stars exist;
Stars reside in 12 Palaces, each combination providing unique readings.
Numerous items & combinations and permutations complicate the learning experience.
PROCESS HIGHLIGHTS
Instead of merely analyzing samples, my design seeks to distill and visualize core system principles, making theories more digestible:
⬆️ Left - First, enumerate all star combinations. Right - next, Identify unique traits of individual stars or combinations.
From over 120 samples, I deduced that nearly all charts of human beings around the globe (excluding Palace factors) fit into just 6 types. Imagine global charts distilled to a mere six categories—far simpler, right?
I then mapped star connections, deducing rules, and visualizing them in the p5.js editor (As is shown at the beginning of the page)