Understanding and Exploration

Design for Data Experiences

Charles Joseph Minard

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• Design for Data Experiences

• Our Approach to Design for Data Experiences

Information is not useful anymore

we are producing more knowledge than ever before

How long does it take the knowledge to double up1750 – 1900 - 150 years1900-1950 – 50 years1950 – 1960 – 10 yearsBy 2020 – Every 73rd Day

Information Anxiety 2By Richard Saul’s On an average Sunday New York Times contains more information than a Renaissance-era person had access to in his entire lifetime.

Social networks, connected objects, information systems, Open data: our societies always generate more data without having the time to develop the tools to understand them.This data-deluge forever changed the way we work and inform us. Whatever the public concerned, it now expects the transparency and clarity to give her confidence . However, neither journalists nor traditional information sources today have the means to make them readable data streams that impact our daily lives.

information explosion has made it difficult to understand, learn and comprehend subjects and its content

complex decision making with amount of information required

Data Experiences

large data set

Creating Purposeful Data Experiences

Slide 13

UnderstandingTo learn about a domain or simply understanding what a given data source contains.

Slide 15

DiscoveringTo find new information and facts that were not known beforehand (and probably unexpected). Show me something that I have never seen Before

Slide 16

Problem SolvingTo model and represent a problem in a way that permits to find and evaluate solutions

Slide 17

Decision MakingTo make decisions based on data and evaluate their quality and impact

Slide 18

Persuasive StorytellingTo communicate, information, motivate or persuade audiences with specific message to an audience

Slide 20

monitoring and situation awarenessTo take under control the state of a dynamic system and react when needed.

Slide 23

art and funProduce pleasurable artifacts

Seismogram from Japan Earthquake

How do we do it

Slide 25

end-product vs. process

acquire n parse

filter n mine

represent n refine

interact

audience à goalsComputer Science

MathematicsStatistics

Information DesignGraphic Design

HCIInteraction design

Domain/BusinessFunctional. Process

Define audiences, goals and determine the most important data that should/can be communicated

Acquire data, supplement with other public data if necessary. Parse and format data and integrate multiple datasets. Filter to only include relevant data

Align with best possible patterns to visualize data and test with end-users on biases, consumption and refine. Check if the goals are met. Add meaningful and simple interaction for users to manipulate

Slide 27

what to keep in mind• Web vs. Desktop

• Communication vs. Exploration (and Discovery)

• Many and Diverse vs. Single and Specialized User Base

• Small and Targeted vs. Large and General Purpose 

• Shallow vs. Deep Interaction

• Funny and Empathic vs. Cold and Technical

• Maps and Charts vs. Fancy Visualizations