Visualising Systems: Mapping System Features and Interactive Information Visualisations in Design

Abstract

Interactive computer-supported information visualisations are being increasingly used in design. However, while there are frameworks that discuss how traditional representations, such as sketches, CAD models and static diagrams support design tasks, no such mapping exists for interactive visualisations of product-related information. As novel contributions, this paper reviews the design literature for the use of information visualisations. Moreover, using systems theory and Gestalt principles, insights on the applicability of such information visualisations for various design tasks are given.

Understanding system features through information visualisations to improve product development: An exploratory study with data analysts

“…Treemap diagrams help to visualise a hierarchy of design alternatives (Yan et al, 2012) and the Design Rationale Editor tool (Bracewell et al, 2009) is based on a tree diagram and visualises various concept alternatives. A more detailed overview of information visualisations used in product development is presented in Idrissov et al, (2020).…”

“…To address this problem, product information can be understood and represented as a system, "a set of entities and their relationships, whose functionality is greater than the sum of the individual entities" (Crawley, 2015). Following such a view, in prior work (Idrissov et al, 2020), characteristic features of systems, namely relationships (interactions) between system entities, hierarchies, patterns and processes are mapped on to information visualisations that can appropriately represent said features. For instance, in the case of a cleaning robot, system entities can be functions (e.g.…”

“…While in said prior work, the foundation of the mapping between characteristic system features and information visualisations were laid out (Idrissov et al, 2020), an empirical evaluation of the proposed mapping is required to understand to what extent the selected information visualisations facilitate understanding of characteristic system features. Thus, in this paper, we aim to examine whether the information visualisations selected assist analysts in understanding characteristic systems' features.…”

“…By understanding characteristic features of systems and mapping them to visualisations that can represent these features, visualisations can be prepared more appropriately. In prior work, we elicit characteristic features of systems as relationships, hierarchies, patterns and processes, and then map them to existing information visualisations (Idrissov et al, 2020). For example, tree diagrams are more appropriate than network diagrams to show hierarchy (Novick and Hurley, 2001).…”

“…Thus, a mapping between characteristic system features and information visualisations that are suitable to represent them permits a more informed selection of appropriate visualisations to support everyday product development tasks. Thus, in this paper, as an extension of the said prior work (Idrissov et al, 2020), we conduct an exploratory empirical study with expert data analysts to understand how information visualisations could enable an understanding of characteristic system features. This understanding could then be used more systematically during product development.…”