Parting A Read Sea Of Images: An Exploration Of Field Dependent-Independent Responses To Minimalist, Pictographic And Infographic Data Displays

ABSTRACT Western society reflects an âeikoncentric eraâ when contemporary instruction has become image -centered. Textbooks, journals, popular media as well as computer-based and web- based instructional media are filled by pictures that are intended to accomplish learning. Imagery is widely believed to represent an efficient, understandable method for relaying information and clarifying instruction for nearly all learners. However, those who subscribe to the adage âa picture is worth a thousand wordsâ often fail to acknowledge individual differences in visual comprehension and cognition. The field dependent-independent (FDI) cognitive style describes individual learner differences that can thwart visual learning. Information graphics are among the frequently used types of imagery that portray data. There is little empirical evidence to guide their design, and their creation is often based on intuition or opinion. This study researched the ways FDI learners comprehend and aesthetically assess minimalist information graphics, pictograms and infographics. Those participants who represented the most extreme field-dependent or field-independent learners were invited to participate in a two-part study. An instrument named the Comparative Information Graphic Test (CIG-T) was developed for testing comprehension of and perceived aesthetic efficacy, value and preference for minimalist information graphics, pictograms and infographics by FDI learner

Visual communications of transportation system: Using information design to strengthen the legibility of transit maps

This thesis developed design solutions to enhance the legibility of transit maps by using information design knowledge. The author followed a user-centred approach to observe participants' reading behaviour and provide design solutions that meet user needs and expectations. In this study, the transit map is re-defined as an information design material rather than a cartographic map or a computerised diagram. The transit map design is divided into three main topics: information communication, visual design, and user performance. China's high-speed railway map is used as a case study where user performance tests are conducted to ascertain whether re-designing the map according to information design principles improves the map's legibility and makes it more user-friendly. The main focus is on information communication effectiveness, including map legend and instructional systems on the map; and on the visual design elements, including colour system, transit line layout, transfer signs and typography, etc. Finally, design guidance is established for transit maps based on the literature review and on the research findings of this study. This guidance is aimed at providing designers and researchers with both theoretical and practical design suggestions. Several research methods are included in this research study. Literature was reviewed to establish the theoretical basis for the empirical tests and relevant evaluation standards. Eye-tracking testing helped identify the map's strengths and potential design limitations in terms of information communication and visual design. It also assisted in observing users' reading strategies and habits based on the eye-movement data. The user performance tests helped evaluate the legibility of the existing map and the revised maps in terms of reading speed, information searching accuracy and route planning quality. The interviews and questionnaires helped collect users' opinions and suggestions, which reinforced the analysis of the experimental results. The results indicate that information design plays a vital role in transit map design in many aspects. The information communication quality of the map legend can largely affect the legibility of transit maps; users showed a faster reading speed and better information searching accuracy after the necessary instructions were visualised. The colour system showed its unreplaceable advantage in transit map visual design, especially in distinguishing and grouping different categories of travel information and map functions, such as different transit lines, services and icons, etc. In addition, a new colour-coding mode for transit lines that combines both qualitative and sequential schemes was created. Its effectiveness was then tested through usability testing. Users' reading speed and comfort were improved after the colour system was re-coded based on the new standard. This research also breaks Beck style (45°octolinear layout) in transit line schematical layout, widely recognised as "golden standard". The test results show that 60° octolinear layout could be the most suitable layout for the North-south direction middle-complex network. Moreover, the study shows that the visual design of micro visual elements (e.g., interchange icons, station labels) should always assist the information communication of the macro transit line layout. The test results would not be applicable to real-life contexts if the design of individual elements was investigated separately from the whole information design structure. The empirical research findings from this study are an essential contribution and a good demonstration that information design is of great importance to cartographic design. The study demonstrates a successful example that evaluated, improved and tested the legibility of a transit map by using existing information design principles and theories. The principles that then also emerge from this study are a strong contribution to knowledge in the field of information design and will provide valuable insight to researchers and designers. In addition, the methodologies used in the research can also support information design research beyond map design, such as information reading materials that contain various categories of instructions and data

Playing with readers’ expectations: types of predictive infographics in digital media

Los infográficos predictivos, aquellos que retan a los usuarios a hacer una estimación subjetiva en torno a un fenómeno antes de permitirles averiguar el resultado, amplían las posibilidades de los medios digitales para atraer y retener a su audiencia. Estudios recientes sugieren, además, que visualizar las propias predicciones mejora la comprensión de la información y la probabilidad de recordarla. A partir de un estudio cualitativo de infográficos interactivos, el presente artículo identifica dos tipos de gráficos predictivos presentes en los medios digitales actuales: gráficos basados en la predicción por parte de los usuarios y gráficos predictivos basados en cálculos. Analiza sus estrategias de interacción y desafío a los usuarios, describiendo modelos que pueden ser aprovechados tanto por investigadores como profesionales de la infografía periodística.Predictive graphics, which require users to think and deduce before they can access the result, broaden possibilities for media to attract their audience. Recent research suggests that visualizing one’s predictions improves recall and comprehension of data. Through a qualitative study of interactive infographics, the present article identifies two types of predictive infographics in digital media: users’ prediction-based graphics and calculation-based predictive graphics. How to challenge users and interaction strategies are analyzed, describing models that could be useful for both researchers and professionals from the field

Playing with readers' expectations: types of predictive infographics in digital media

Predictive graphics, which require users to think and deduce before they can access the result, broaden possibilities for media to attract their audience. Recent research suggests that visualizing one¿s predictions improves recall and comprehension of data. Through a qualitative study of interactive infographics, the present article identifies two types of predictive infographics in digital media: users´ prediction-based graphics and calculation-based predictive graphics. How to challenge users and interaction strategies are analyzed, describing models that could be useful for both researchers and professionals from the field.Los infográficos predictivos, aquellos que retan a los usuarios a hacer una estimación subjetiva en torno a un fenómeno antes de permitirles averiguar el resultado, amplían las posibilidades de los medios digitales para atraer y retener a su audiencia. Estudios recientes sugieren, además, que visualizar las propias predicciones mejora la comprensión de la información y la probabilidad de recordarla. A partir de un estudio cualitativo de infográficos interactivos, el presente artículo identifica dos tipos de gráficos predictivos presentes en los medios digitales actuales: gráficos basados en la predicción por parte de los usuarios y gráficos predictivos basados en cálculos. Analiza sus estrategias de interacción y desafío a los usuarios, describiendo modelos que pueden ser aprovechados tanto por investigadores como profesionales de la infografía periodística

Improving the effectiveness of public health infographics through design principle application

Infographics have been recognised as an effective and accessible method of information communication, leading to their common use in the dissemination of public health information. However, current design outputs in this field are not frequently produced by information design specialists, resulting in variable design quality. This project looked to address this problem, by investigating the development process for a tool that would allow such users with limited design training to maximise the effectiveness of their infographic outputs. First, a literature review was conducted to define research-based design principles that were applicable to infographics. The value of these principles was then investigated, experimentally comparing user performance with 3 infographic design variations. These design variations applied the design principles to variable degrees; establishing that a high proportion of principles should be applied to maximise user performance. Next, the principles were reduced from 84 to 20, aiming to retain the most salient and maximising accessibility for the non-designer audience. These final principles were developed into motion graphic education resource, aiming to optimise adherence and teach this demographic to successfully apply the principles in their own design. The resource was later tested by conducting a generative design investigation that required 9 healthcare professionals to design a public health infographic, both before and after accessing the resource. Comparative experimental testing on these design outputs revealed that use of the motion graphics resulted in significantly more effective designs, measured by information location efficiency, memorability, and user opinion. This established a successful process for developing effective design education tools, and identified motion graphics as an efficient teaching technique. As well as establishing the needs of the healthcare professional target audience through an iterative user-centred design process. Finally, concluding that use of this resource can be used to maximise the effectiveness of public health infographics, providing potential advantages to the prevention of future disease and protection of the public health

ODNOS STAROSTI KORISNIKA I VIZUALNE PUTANJE KOD KORIŠTENJA DIGITALNIH MEDIJA

The purpose of this paper is to investigate is there a relation between age and the way that people are using digital media content. By developing information and communication technology in the field of media communications, media con-tent users are able to use more visual information of the same content, affecting the success of decoding the message and users can also manipulate part of the visual presentation by adapting the user interface to their visual needs. This puts the user in the position of the designer of the visual content. The information user today partially takes the role of the creator of the visual aspect of the information, so it comes to repositioning in relation the graphic designer - the recipient of the message. The paper examines whether the age of the user has an impact on the visual pattern used in the digital content utilization. The research approach is qualitative and exploratory in nature, as the aim is to develop a model of information consumption for elderlies in digital environment in which the information quality is challenged by the way of user’s visual approach and visual pattern. Through the empirical part of the research, user behavior was investigated in the use of media web content. Although, there are some differences between two users groups divided by age, we can not claim that these differences are connected with age. The research has shown that the primary reason for certain visual pattern is interest for specific theme. Based on conducted theoretical analysis and empirical research it can be concluded that visual communication in a new, converging media environment is experiencing redefinition and enables rapid transition from status information per se to status per nos, but the interest for content is still dominant regulator of specific users navigation trought the content.Svrha ovog rada je istražiti odnos između dobi i načina na koji ljudi koriste digitalne medijske sadržaje. Razvojem informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije u području medijskih komunikacija korisnici medija sadržaja mogu koristiti više vizualnih informacija istog sadržaja, što utječe na uspjeh dekodiranja poruke, a korisnici također mogu manipulirati dijelom vizualne prezentacije prilagodbom korisničkog sučelja njihovim vizualnim potrebama. Time se korisnik postavlja u poziciju dizajnera vizualnog sadržaja. Korisnik informacija danas dijelom preuzima ulogu tvorca vizualnog aspekta informacija, pa dolazi do repozicioniranja u odnosu grafički dizajner - primatelj poruke. U radu se ispituje ima li dob korisnika utjecaj na vizualni obrazac koji se koristi u korištenju digitalnog sadržaja. Istraživački pristup je kvalitativnog i istraživačkog karaktera, a cilj je razviti model konzumiranja informacija za starije osobe u digitalnom okruženju u kojem se kvalitetu podataka dovodi u pitanje korisnikovim vizualnim pristupom i vizualnim obrascem. Empirijskim dijelom istraživanja istraženo je ponašanje korisnika pri korištenju medijskih web sadržaja. Iako postoje neke razlike između dvije korisničke skupine podijeljene prema dobi, ne možemo tvrditi da su te razlike povezane s dobi. Istraživanje je pokazalo da je glavni razlog određenog vizualnog uzorka zanimanje za određenu temu. Na temelju provedene teorijske analize i empirijskog istraživanja može se zaključiti da vizualna komunikacija u novom, konvergiranom medijskom okruženju doživljava redefiniranje i omogućava brzi prijelaz iz statusa per se u status per nos, no zanimanje za sadržaj još uvijek je dominantan regulator navigacije za određene korisnike sadržaja

An Evaluation Framework for Business Intelligence Visualization

Nowadays, data visualization is becoming an essential part of data analysis. Business Intelligence Visualization (BIV) is a powerful tool that helps modern business flows faster and smoother than ever before. However, studies on BIV evaluation are severely lacking; most evaluation studies for BIV is guided by general principles of usability, which have limited aspects covered for customers? needs. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework that evaluates BIV, including decision-making experience. First, we did a literature review for good understanding of research progress on related fields, and established a conceptual framework. Second, we performed a user study that implemented this framework with a set of questionnaires to demonstrate how our framework can be used in real business. Our result proved that this framework can catch differences among different designs of BIV from the users? standpoints. This can help design BIV and promote better decision-makings on business affairs

Visual Representations of Science in a Pandemic: COVID-19 in Images

This article aims to contribute to the understanding of the social dimensions of the 2020 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on the visual practices of science communication in times of health emergency, by analyzing how the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is being visually represented. It seeks to identify the format and content of images used to illustrate online information about the pandemic, in particular, from websites of policy institutions, research promoters, and media in Portugal and Spain. By examining a sample containing 600 images, it aims to identify the messages being conveyed and the effects these images intend to provoke and to illuminate the differences in representations among the three sources of communication. Differences and similarities with visual images of previous pandemics (influenza, AIDS) are examined. This article ascertains that policy websites aim to be mostly prescriptive, relying on infographics to convey prevention and care instructions to its audiences. On the other hand, science websites rely mostly on stock photos and images from scientific articles to illustrate current research, while newspaper websites are the most diversified in terms of the images they use and the topics they cover. This study concludes that representations of science are still very much based on stereotypical imagery of labs and white coats, that representations of the medical side of the pandemic are focused on images of intensive care that aim to generate fear and stimulate responsible behavior, and that the social aspects of the pandemic are illustrated by images that focus either on pandemic prevention (e.g., washing hands) or on the impacts of the pandemic itself (e.g., empty streets during lockdown).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diverse Contributions to Implicit Human-Computer Interaction

Cuando las personas interactúan con los ordenadores, hay mucha información que no se proporciona a propósito. Mediante el estudio de estas interacciones implícitas es posible entender qué características de la interfaz de usuario son beneficiosas (o no), derivando así en implicaciones para el diseño de futuros sistemas interactivos. La principal ventaja de aprovechar datos implícitos del usuario en aplicaciones informáticas es que cualquier interacción con el sistema puede contribuir a mejorar su utilidad. Además, dichos datos eliminan el coste de tener que interrumpir al usuario para que envíe información explícitamente sobre un tema que en principio no tiene por qué guardar relación con la intención de utilizar el sistema. Por el contrario, en ocasiones las interacciones implícitas no proporcionan datos claros y concretos. Por ello, hay que prestar especial atención a la manera de gestionar esta fuente de información. El propósito de esta investigación es doble: 1) aplicar una nueva visión tanto al diseño como al desarrollo de aplicaciones que puedan reaccionar consecuentemente a las interacciones implícitas del usuario, y 2) proporcionar una serie de metodologías para la evaluación de dichos sistemas interactivos. Cinco escenarios sirven para ilustrar la viabilidad y la adecuación del marco de trabajo de la tesis. Resultados empíricos con usuarios reales demuestran que aprovechar la interacción implícita es un medio tanto adecuado como conveniente para mejorar de múltiples maneras los sistemas interactivos.Leiva Torres, LA. (2012). Diverse Contributions to Implicit Human-Computer Interaction [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/17803Palanci