User-Centered Visualization

Abstract:

People are relying on visualizations to make increasingly high-impact, even life-critical decisions. How can we ensure that these people have the best visualizations for the decisions they face? Meeting this challenge requires a new design perspective that considers the strengths and limitations of our innate perceptual and cognitive abilities. In this talk, Lane will share several recent projects from his lab that explore the role of the user in visualization. These include:

1. modeling visualization performance to find perceptually-optimal designs,

2. exploring how cognitive states like emotion impact visualization effectiveness, and

3. identifying cognitive differences that challenge the notion of visualization design being one-size-fits all.

Bio:

Lane Harrison (http://codementum.org/) is a postdoc in the Visual Analytics Lab @ Tufts (http://valt.cs.tufts.edu/) University (VALT). Before joining VALT, Lane received his Ph.D. in computer science from UNC-Charlotte, where he worked in the Charlotte Visualization Center. Lane has also spent several summers developing cyber security visualization systems for U.S. National Labs.

Attendee notes:

Please bring a government issued ID. You will need it at the door.

We will be checking in users this time per venue policy. If you plan to attend, RSVP. If you aren't RSVP'd, I cannot guarantee your entry.

Would you like to sponsor us? We would be very grateful for your support which would translate directly into happiness in the form of some food and beverages.