Vernacular Visualization Practices

Abstract

In this essay, I define and discuss vernacular visualization practices: the creation and use of data-driven visual representations by individuals untrained in design or data science, in contrast to formal or expert visualization practices. Vernacular visualization practices reflect local and situated resources, requirements, evaluation criteria, and final outputs. In these contexts, individuals sometimes choose to make design choices that differ from those vetted by experts. These differences surface opportunities for deeper understanding of visualizations in communicating data-driven information to diverse audiences and among stakeholders with heterogenous expertise and needs. To support this argument, I discuss the origins of the concept of vernacular visualization practices, highlight related trends in human-computer interaction (HCI) research, and then briefly describe some methodological approaches for studying them.