Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools

Gonzalo Gabriel Mendez; Uta Hinrichs; Miguel Nacenta

doi:10.1145/3025453.3025942

Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools

Gonzalo Gabriel Mendez, Uta Hinrichs, Miguel Nacenta

School of Computer Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

The emergence of tools that support fast-and-easy visualization creation by non-experts has made the benefits of InfoVis widely accessible. Key features of these tools include attribute-level operations, automated mappings, and visualization templates. However, these features shield people from lower-level visualization design steps, such as the specific mapping of data points to visuals. In contrast, recent research promotes constructive visualization where individual data units and visuals are directly manipulated. We present a qualitative study comparing people's visualization processes using two visualization tools: one promoting a top-down approach to visualization construction (Tableau Desktop) and one implementing a bottom-up constructive visualization approach (iVoLVER). Our results show how the two approaches influence: 1) the visualization process, 2) decisions on the visualization design, 3) the feeling of control and authorship, and 4) the willingness to explore alternative designs. We discuss the complex trade-offs between the two approaches and outline considerations for designing better visualization tools.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '17)
Place of Publication	New York
Publisher	ACM
Pages	841-852
ISBN (Print)	9781450346559
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025942
Publication status	Published - 2 May 2017
Event	ACM CHI 2017 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Colorado Convention Center, Denver, United States Duration: 6 May 2017 → 11 May 2017 https://chi2017.acm.org/

Conference

Conference	ACM CHI 2017 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Abbreviated title	CHI
Country/Territory	United States
City	Denver
Period	6/05/17 → 11/05/17
Internet address	https://chi2017.acm.org/

Keywords

Information visualization
iVoLVER
Tableau Desktop
Visualization tools
Tools for non-experts
Visual languages
Visual programming
Top-down vs bottom-up design
Observational studies
Visualization novices
Constructive visualization

Access to Document

10.1145/3025453.3025942

Mendez_2017_Tableau_and_iVoLVER_CHI_AAM
© 2017, the Author(s). This work has been made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at dl.acm.org / https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025942
Accepted author manuscript, 4.35 MBLicence: Other

Cite this

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title = "Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools",

abstract = "The emergence of tools that support fast-and-easy visualization creation by non-experts has made the benefits of InfoVis widely accessible. Key features of these tools include attribute-level operations, automated mappings, and visualization templates. However, these features shield people from lower-level visualization design steps, such as the specific mapping of data points to visuals. In contrast, recent research promotes constructive visualization where individual data units and visuals are directly manipulated. We present a qualitative study comparing people's visualization processes using two visualization tools: one promoting a top-down approach to visualization construction (Tableau Desktop) and one implementing a bottom-up constructive visualization approach (iVoLVER). Our results show how the two approaches influence: 1) the visualization process, 2) decisions on the visualization design, 3) the feeling of control and authorship, and 4) the willingness to explore alternative designs. We discuss the complex trade-offs between the two approaches and outline considerations for designing better visualization tools.",

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author = "Mendez, {Gonzalo Gabriel} and Uta Hinrichs and Miguel Nacenta",

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doi = "10.1145/3025453.3025942",

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booktitle = "Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '17)",

publisher = "ACM",

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note = "ACM CHI 2017 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI ; Conference date: 06-05-2017 Through 11-05-2017",

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Mendez, GG, Hinrichs, U & Nacenta, M 2017, Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools. in Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '17). ACM, New York, pp. 841-852, ACM CHI 2017 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Denver, Colorado, United States, 6/05/17. https://doi.org/10.1145/3025453.3025942

Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools. / Mendez, Gonzalo Gabriel; Hinrichs, Uta; Nacenta, Miguel.
Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '17). New York: ACM, 2017. p. 841-852.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

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AB - The emergence of tools that support fast-and-easy visualization creation by non-experts has made the benefits of InfoVis widely accessible. Key features of these tools include attribute-level operations, automated mappings, and visualization templates. However, these features shield people from lower-level visualization design steps, such as the specific mapping of data points to visuals. In contrast, recent research promotes constructive visualization where individual data units and visuals are directly manipulated. We present a qualitative study comparing people's visualization processes using two visualization tools: one promoting a top-down approach to visualization construction (Tableau Desktop) and one implementing a bottom-up constructive visualization approach (iVoLVER). Our results show how the two approaches influence: 1) the visualization process, 2) decisions on the visualization design, 3) the feeling of control and authorship, and 4) the willingness to explore alternative designs. We discuss the complex trade-offs between the two approaches and outline considerations for designing better visualization tools.

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KW - Tools for non-experts

KW - Visual languages

KW - Visual programming

KW - Top-down vs bottom-up design

KW - Observational studies

KW - Visualization novices

KW - Constructive visualization

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Y2 - 6 May 2017 through 11 May 2017

ER -

Bottom-up vs. top-down: trade-offs in efficiency, understanding, freedom and creativity with InfoVis tools

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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