Visualization Design Practices in a Crisis: Behind the Scenes with COVID-19 Dashboard Creators

Area of Science:

• Data Visualization
• Sociotechnical Systems
• Information Design

Background:

• COVID-19 pandemic spurred creation of numerous data visualizations, particularly dashboards, for public information.
• Existing research on COVID-19 visualizations predominantly adopts technology-centered perspectives.
• Limited understanding exists regarding the behind-the-scenes processes and sociotechnical contexts of visualization creation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the engagement of visualization creators in COVID-19 dashboard design.
• To identify tensions, conflicts, and challenges encountered during the dashboard creation process.
• To characterize the ecological knowledge of visualization design practices in real-world settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interview study with COVID-19 dashboard creators.
• Inclusion of creators from federal agencies, state health departments, and news media.
• Analysis focused on the entire trajectory of design practices: creation, expansion, maintenance, and termination.

Main Results:

• Dashboard design trajectory is influenced by design goals, tools, labor, crisis context, and public engagement.
• Tensions arose between designers and the public due to diverging demands and policies.
• Conflicts centered on information type/amount, public perception influence, and managing misinterpretations.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the complex interplay of factors shaping data visualization design in crisis contexts.
• Understanding sociotechnical dynamics is crucial for effective visualization design and dissemination.
• New perspectives on visualization design emphasize bundled activities and human-nonhuman participation throughout the design lifecycle.