Facilitating Engagement in Data-Driven Web Interfaces - An Exploratory Study on How to Balance Presentation and Interaction to Facilitate Engagement With Important Data

Abstract

Our data-driven society could benefit from more research focusing on making important information more engaging and accessible to more people. Both presentation and interactivity can be helpful in this regard, but it is not obvious how to balance the two. Furthermore, interactions today depend very much on technologies which continuously change and evolve, making it hard for designers to keep up. Responding to these challenges, a research-through-design process was conducted and a functioning web interface was developed. Relevant theory from various disciplines, such as information visualization and interface design, was considered and contextualized. Along with a functioning web interface, the outcome of this project includes important considerations and techniques helpful for future practitioners. In summary, facilitating engagement in data-driven web interfaces can benefit from considerations of: technology, an iterative workflow; and utilization of techniques involving: dynamic queries, direct manipulation, entry points, and visual narratives.