Problem-based visualization research provides explicit guidance toward
identifying and designing for the needs of users, but absent is more concrete
guidance toward factors external to a user's needs that also have implications
for visualization design and evaluation. This lack of more explicit guidance
can leave visualization researchers and practitioners vulnerable to unforeseen
constraints beyond the user's needs that can affect the validity of
evaluations, or even lead to the premature termination of a project. Here we
explore two types of external constraints in depth, regulatory and
organizational constraints, and describe how these constraints impact
visualization design and evaluation. By borrowing from techniques in software
development, project management, and visualization research we recommend
strategies for identifying, mitigating, and evaluating these external
constraints through a design study methodology. Finally, we present an
application of those recommendations in a healthcare case study. We argue that
by explicitly incorporating external constraints into visualization design and
evaluation, researchers and practitioners can improve the utility and validity
of their visualization solution and improve the likelihood of successful
collaborations with industries where external constraints are more present.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, presented at BELIV workshop associated with IEEE
VIS 201