arXiv subjects

Matthew Brehmer

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew Brehmer.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

From Jam Session to Recital: Synchronous Communication and Collaboration Around Data in Organizations

Prior research on communicating with visualization has focused on public presentation and asynchronous individual consumption, such as in the domain of journalism. The visualization research community knows comparatively little about synchronous and multimodal communication around data within organizations, from team meetings to executive briefings. We conducted two qualitative interview studies with individuals who prepare and deliver presentations about data to audiences in organizations. In contrast to prior work, we did not limit our interviews to those who self-identify as data analysts or data scientists. Both studies examined aspects of speaking about data with visual aids such as charts, dashboards, and tables. One study was a retrospective examination of current practices and difficulties, from which we identified three scenarios involving presentations of data. We describe these scenarios using an analogy to musical performance: small collaborative team meetings are akin to jam session, while more structured presentations can range from semi-improvisational performances among peers to formal recitals given to executives or customers. In our second study, we grounded the discussion around three design probes, each examining a different aspect of presenting data: the progressive reveal of visualization to direct attention and advance a narrative, visualization presentation controls that are hidden from the audience's view, and the coordination of a presenter's video with interactive visualization. Our distillation of interviewees' responses surfaced twelve themes, from ways of authoring presentations to creating accessible and engaging audience experiences.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2020

QualDash: Adaptable Generation of Visualisation Dashboards for Healthcare Quality Improvement

Adapting dashboard design to different contexts of use is an open question in visualisation research. Dashboard designers often seek to strike a balance between dashboard adaptability and ease-of-use, and in hospitals challenges arise from the vast diversity of key metrics, data models and users involved at different organizational levels. In this design study, we present QualDash, a dashboard generation engine that allows for the dynamic configuration and deployment of visualisation dashboards for healthcare quality improvement (QI). We present a rigorous task analysis based on interviews with healthcare professionals, a co-design workshop and a series of one-on-one meetings with front line analysts. From these activities we define a metric card metaphor as a unit of visual analysis in healthcare QI, using this concept as a building block for generating highly adaptable dashboards, and leading to the design of a Metric Specification Structure (MSS). Each MSS is a JSON structure which enables dashboard authors to concisely configure unit-specific variants of a metric card, while offloading common patterns that are shared across cards to be preset by the engine. We reflect on deploying and iterating the design of QualDash in cardiology wards and pediatric intensive care units of five NHS hospitals. Finally, we report evaluation results that demonstrate the adaptability, ease-of-use and usefulness of QualDash in a real-world scenario.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2019

A Comparative Evaluation of Animation and Small Multiples for Trend Visualization on Mobile Phones

We compare the efficacy of animated and small multiples variants of scatterplots on mobile phones for comparing trends in multivariate datasets. Visualization is increasingly prevalent in mobile applications and mobile-first websites, yet there is little prior visualization research dedicated to small displays. In this paper, we build upon previous experimental research carried out on larger displays that assessed animated and non-animated variants of scatterplots. Incorporating similar experimental stimuli and tasks, we conducted an experiment where 96 crowdworker participants performed nine trend comparison tasks using their mobile phones. We found that those using a small multiples design consistently completed tasks in less time, albeit with slightly less confidence than those using an animated design. The accuracy results were more task-dependent, and we further interpret our results according to the characteristics of the individual tasks, with a specific focus on the trajectories of target and distractor data items in each task. We identify cases that appear to favor either animation or small multiples, providing new questions for further experimental research and implications for visualization design on mobile devices. Lastly, we provide a reflection on our evaluation methodology.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2019

Thumbnails for Data Stories: A Survey of Current Practices

When people browse online news, small thumbnail images accompanying links to articles attract their attention and help them to decide which articles to read. As an increasing proportion of online news can be construed as data journalism, we have witnessed a corresponding increase in the incorporation of visualization in article thumbnails. However, there is little research to support alternative design choices for visualization thumbnails, which include resizing, cropping, simplifying, and embellishing charts appearing within the body of the associated article. We therefore sought to better understand these design choices and determine what makes a visualization thumbnail inviting and interpretable. This paper presents our findings from a survey of visualization thumbnails collected online and from conversations with data journalists and news graphics designers. Our study reveals that there exists an uncharted design space, one that is in need of further empirical study. Our work can thus be seen as a first step toward providing structured guidance on how to design thumbnails for data stories.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2019

Critical Reflections on Visualization Authoring Systems

An emerging generation of visualization authoring systems support expressive information visualization without textual programming. As they vary in their visualization models, system architectures, and user interfaces, it is challenging to directly compare these systems using traditional evaluative methods. Recognizing the value of contextualizing our decisions in the broader design space, we present critical reflections on three systems we developed -- Lyra, Data Illustrator, and Charticulator. This paper surfaces knowledge that would have been daunting within the constituent papers of these three systems. We compare and contrast their (previously unmentioned) limitations and trade-offs between expressivity and learnability. We also reflect on common assumptions that we made during the development of our systems, thereby informing future research directions in visualization authoring systems.

cs.HC↗