Towards a Unifying and Accessible Data Perceptualisation Design Theory

Presentation given at NordiCHI 2026, Vaasa, Finland

To inform the design of visualisations, sonifications, data physicalisations and other multisensory interfaces, designers and researchers draw on insights, studies, resources and guidelines from a broad range of research disciplines. We have investigated opportunities and challenges of establishing a unified data perceptualisation design theory that fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge sharing. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of existing subfields and theories, considering both current practices and future visions. To address current shortcomings in defining and documenting related work—issues that hinder accessibility—we present several contributions, including a refined definition of encoding channels, a data perceptualisation pipeline and a conceptual model for representing multisensory data mappings that accounts for situatedness, interaction style, intention and multisensory experience.

Research paper: https://beatsigner.com/publications/towards-a-unifying-and-accessible-data-perceptualisation-design-theory.pdf

Transcript

1. Towards a Unifying and Accessible Data Perceptualisation Design Theory
2. Overall Goal Theory informing the design of artefacts presenting data Sonification of the distance Common information visualisation Data sculpture of river by Zoltan Sylvester
3. Overall Approach ➢Meta analysis ➢Collection of works ➢ Refine definitions ➢ Develop model for documenting artefact designs
4. Data Perceptualisation “An artefact presenting data to a user with the aim of providing objective insights of the data, using any display device or sensory modality.”
5. Theory Informing the Encoding Decoding Applicable results regarding an artefact • What works? • How well? Generalisable findings on humans • Why does it work? • What could work? • What could be harmful?
6. Challenges of Design Theory Access
7. Challenges of Design Theory Access
8. Challenges of Design Theory Access
9. Challenges of Design Theory Access
10. Mark “The phenomenological structure that acts as the design element encoding data in the data perceptualisation artefact, and whose properties are decoded through various interactions, such as watching, listening, tapping or stroking.”
11. Channel ... and Encoding Channel “The full chain created by an encoding channel, a physical phenomenon and the human experience of it.” “The objective instruction used for controlling display devices, clarifying how a data attribute is encoded into the physical external representation.“
12. Data Perceptualisation Pipeline
13. Data Perceptualisation Pipeline
14. Data Perceptualisation Pipeline
15. Data Perceptualisation Pipeline
16. Data Perceptualisation Pipeline
17. Conceptual Model
18. Example: Object Smoothness
19. Example: Smoothness Channels
20. Example: Smoothness Channels
21. Conclusion and Future Work ➢Meta analysis ➢Refined definitions • data perceptualisation • mark • channel ➢Conceptual model ➢Evaluations ➢Development of knowledge base resource Project Infos Access Paper