Navigating interdependence: helping people see connections in a complex world.

Complex systems are inherently interdependent and must be understood across many length scales, making them difficult to define and communicate. Scientific questions are often complex in nature, and can be difficult to convey to a public audience for this reason. Communication is often further confounded by institutional barriers, cultural attitudes, and occasionally distrust between scientists and the public. Designers are ideal partners to work with scientists in bridging these barriers, exposing conceptual frameworks and facilitating dialogue. This thesis reports the development of an interactive website that explores issues related to soil health, global land use,and population growth. The design follows a series of recommendations identified through a broad survey of recent work in information visualization, including specific guidelines for the tone, structure and content of the piece, as well as its support of user agency. A participatory exhibition project further investigates the potential for design to foster conversation and create community.