Action Design Research and Visualization Design

In applied visualization research, artifacts are shaped by a series of small design decisions, many of which are evaluated quickly and informally via methods that often go unreported and unverified. Such design decisions are influenced not only by visualization theory, but also by the people and context of the research. While existing applied visualization models support a level of reliability throughout the design process, they fail to explicitly account for the influence of the research context in shaping the resulting design artifacts. In this work, we look to action design research (ADR) for insight into addressing this issue. In particular, ADR offers a framework along with a set of guiding principles for navigating and capitalizing on the disruptive, subjective, human-centered nature of applied design work, while aiming to ensure reliability of the process and design, and emphasizing opportunities for conducting research. We explore the utility of ADR in increasing the reliability of applied visualization design research by: describing ADR in the language and constructs developed within the visualization community; comparing ADR to existing visualization methodologies; and analyzing a recent design study retrospectively through the lens of ADR's framework and principles.

[1]  Sandeep Purao,et al.  Ensemble Artifacts: From Viewing to Designing in Action Design Research , 2013 .

[2]  Catherine Plaisant,et al.  Seven Guiding Scenarios for Information Visualization Evaluation , 2011 .

[3]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  MizBee: A Multiscale Synteny Browser , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[4]  K. Lewin.  Action Research and Minority Problems , 1946 .

[5]  M. Sheelagh T. Carpendale,et al.  Grounded evaluation of information visualizations , 2008, BELIV.

[6]  Jason Dykes,et al.  Human-Centered Approaches in Geovisualization Design: Investigating Multiple Methods Through a Long-Term Case Study , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[7]  Allison Druin,et al.  Technology probes: inspiring design for and with families , 2003, CHI '03.

[8]  Ben Shneiderman,et al.  Strategies for evaluating information visualization tools: multi-dimensional in-depth long-term case studies , 2006, BELIV '06.

[9]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  Design Study Methodology: Reflections from the Trenches and the Stacks , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[10]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  A Nested Model for Visualization Design and Validation , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[11]  Ravikiran Vatrapu,et al.  Building a Social Newsroom: Visual Analytics for Social Business Intelligence , 2015, 2015 IEEE 19th International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Workshop.

[12]  James Agutter,et al.  Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics Design Activity Framework for Visualization Design , 2014 .

[13]  Salvatore T. March,et al.  Design and natural science research on information technology , 1995, Decis. Support Syst..

[14]  Vivek Srikumar,et al.  RhymeDesign: A Tool for Analyzing Sonic Devices in Poetry , 2015, CLfL@NAACL-HLT.

[15]  Wanda J. Orlikowski,et al.  Research Commentary: Desperately Seeking the "IT" in IT Research - A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact , 2001, Inf. Syst. Res..

[16]  Sara Jones,et al.  Creative User-Centered Visualization Design for Energy Analysts and Modelers , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[17]  J. McNiff.  Action Research Principles and Practice , 1988 .

[18]  Alan R. Hevner,et al.  Design Science in Information Systems Research , 2004, MIS Q..

[19]  William S. Cleveland,et al.  A Model for Studying Display Methods of Statistical Graphics , 1993 .

[20]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  The nested blocks and guidelines model , 2015, Inf. Vis..

[21]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  Process and Pitfalls in Writing Information Visualization Research Papers , 2008, Information Visualization.

[22]  Keith Andrews.  Evaluation Comes in Many Guises , 2008 .

[23]  Sandeep Purao,et al.  Action Design Research , 2011, MIS Q..

[24]  Gillian R. Hayes.  The relationship of action research to human-computer interaction , 2011, TCHI.

[25]  Miriah D. Meyer,et al.  Poemage: Visualizing the Sonic Topology of a Poem , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[26]  Tamara Munzner,et al.  Overview: The Design, Adoption, and Analysis of a Visual Document Mining Tool for Investigative Journalists , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.