From Text to Tangibles: Exploring, Designing and Evaluating Image-Schema-based Tools for Data Physicalisation Design

Data physicalisations represent abstract data through their shape or material properties. Research in this field often involves examining existing data physicalisations and developing theoretical frameworks. While this approach exposes opportunities for improvement in actual designs, it does not support design action. To foster the design, such as promoting the purposeful use of metaphors and materials for more intuitive data mappings, more (inter)active physicalisation approaches, and multimodal data physicalisations that go beyond visual data representation approaches, I suggest the use of image schemas. These representations of recurrently experienced interaction patterns, structure perception and are promising to foster design. Existing lists of image schemas can be used to limit additional time and effort when utilising image schemas in the design process. However, while actual databases provide comprehensive listings, they do not work as an easily accessible tool that designers require. To assess the effect of image schemas on the data physicalisation design process and design outcome, a more accessible form of representation and approach to incorporate them in the design process are necessary. Using both, designerly and scientific inquiry, I transformed image schema theory into different design tools and evaluated their effect on the data physicalisation design process and design outcome. The tools’ creation, use, and effect were documented and analysed. This work examined the design process of design tools and data physicalisations. It provided design artefacts, design process documentations, and externalised knowledge. This Design Research aimed to generate knowledge while also supporting data physicalisation design. The created tools demonstrated a structuring effect (excepted Image Schema Objects) and inspirational power. Ideas generated with Image Schema Objects were experienced as more innovative and active, while ideas generated with the toolkit were experienced as more intuitive and tangible. The toolkit contains the Image Schema Objects but provides additional tools and considerations for designing data physicalisations. These tools facilitated a more elaborate and intuitive design, while the Image Schema Objects were rarely used, and could not capture their power. Despite adding complexity to the design process, the toolkit did not increase the process demand and even reduced the perceived effort. Even not all aspects of data physicalisation design can be addressed, the toolkit provides an easily accessible approach to incorporate image schemas in the design process. It reduces the perceived effort and fosters more intuitive and tangible experienced design ideas. Furthermore, this work offered tangible representations of image schemas that foster design ideas which are experienced to be more innovative and active.