Custom Visualization without Real Programming

Kostas Pantazos

    Research output: Book / Anthology / Report / Ph.D. thesisPh.D. thesis

    Abstract

    Information Visualization tools have simplified visualization development. Some tools help simple users construct standard visualizations; others help programmers develop custom visualizations. This thesis contributes to the field of Information Visualization and End-User Development. The first contribution of
    the thesis is a taxonomy for Information Visualization development tools. Existing
    taxonomies from the Information Visualization field are helpful, but none of them can properly categorize visualization tools from a user development perspective. The categorization of 20 Information Visualization tools proves the
    applicability of this taxonomy, and the result showed that there are no Dragand-
    Drop tools that allow end-user developers as well as programmers to create
    custom visualizations.

    The second contribution is a new visualization development approach, the Drag-Drop-Set-View-Interact approach, supported by the visualization tool called uVis. In order to construct custom visualizations with uVis, end-user developers and programmers drag and drop controls, set formulas, view immediate results, and interact as end-users without switching workspace. This approach was possible by extending the uVis formula language with a development environment - the uVis Studio. The results of this thesis provide good indications that with a modest amount of training, end-user developers can construct custom visualizations with the Drag-Drop-Set-View-Interact approach. The results also indicate that programmers can construct custom visualizations faster with Drag-Drop- Set-View-Interact and additional proof is provided through the development of two custom visualizations by an experienced user of uVis.

    As existing work in Information Visualization has overlooked end-user developers, and End-User Development has not explored visualization development, this thesis provides a starting point for End-User Development of Information Visualization. The results can be used by the End-User Development and the Information Visualization community to identify future avenues of research.
    Original languageEnglish
    PublisherIT-Universitetet i København
    Number of pages208
    ISBN (Print)978-87-7949-287-5
    Publication statusPublished - 2013
    SeriesITU-DS
    Number92
    ISSN1602-3536

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