Working with or next to each other? Boundary crossing in the field of information visualisation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5617/jmi.v1i2.875Keywords:
Data visualisation, infographics, information visualisation, multi-skilled journalists, newsroom studiesAbstract
Due to the need to present information in a fast and attractive way, organizations are eager to use information visualisations. This study explores the collision between the different experts involved in the production of these visualisations using the model of trading zones supplemented with the learning mechanisms found in the boundary crossing literature. Results show that that there is not one good solution to effective interdisciplinary cooperation in the field of information visualisation. All four types of cooperation that we distinguish – enforced, dominated, fractionated, and attuned – might work well, as long as they are adapted to the situation. In any case the involved experts and initiators have to understand and incorporate approaches that enhance the co-creative, iterative nature of the production process. Overlooking the different forms of collaboration we detect two major forms of trading zones: the one that encompasses the collaboration between an external client and a designer (external trading zone) and the trading zones within an organization between content producer and designer (internal trading zone). Both mechanisms of identifying each other’s expertise and coordinating the different tasks in the production process seem beneficial for the production process.
References
Akkerman, S. F., & Bakker, A. (2011). Boundary crossing and boundary objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2), 132-169.
Beak, S., Liebowitz, J., & Lewis, M. (2000). An exploratory study: Supporting collaborative multimedia systems design. Multimedia Tools and Applications, 12, 189-208.
Collins, H., Evans, R., & Gorman, M. (2007). Trading zones and interactional expertise. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, 38, 657-666.
De Koning, B. B., Tabbers, H. K., Rikers, R. M. J. P., & Paas, F. (2010). Attention guidance in learning from a complex animation: Seeing is understanding? Learning and Instruction, 20(2), 111-122.
Galison, P. (1997). Image and logic: A material culture of microphysics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Giardina, M., & Medina, P. (2013). Information graphics design challenges and workflow management. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 3(1), 108-124.
Heiser, J., & Tversky, B. (2002). Diagrams and descriptions in acquiring complex systems. Proceedings of the meetings of the Cognitive Society. Erlbaum: Hillsdale, N.J.
Kirk, A. (2012). Data visualisation: A successful design process. Birmingham-Mumbai: Packt Publishing.
Kleinsman, M., Valkenburg., & Buijs, J. (2007). Why do(n’t) actors in collaborative design understand each other? An empirical study towards a better understanding of collaborative design. CoDesign, 3(1), 59-73.
Lankow, J., Ritchie, J., & Crooks, R. (2012). Infographics: the power of visual storytelling. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Lewis, S.C., & Usher, N. (2013). Code, collaboration and the future of journalism. A case study of the hacks/hackers global network. Paper presented at the Future of Journalism Conference, Cardiff University, Cardiff, September 12-13, 2013.
Mora, G. (2012, November 7). Journalists and infographic-designers: a love-hate relationship (part one). [Web log post]. Retrieved via http://visualoop.com/3134/journalists-and-infographic-designers-a-love-hate- relationship-part-one
Smit, G., de Haan, Y., & Buijs, L. (2014). Visualising news: make it work. Digital Journalism. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2014.897847
Weber, W. & Rall, H. (2012). Data visualisation in online journalism and its implications for the production process. Paper presented at the 16th International Conference on Information Visualisation, The University of Montpellier, Montpellier, July 11-13, 2012. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/IV.2012.65
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution BY 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).