Stock Lamp: An Engagement-Versatile Visualization Design

Design methodologies for information visualizations are typically based on the assumption that the users will be fully engaged in the visual exploration of the displayed information. However, recent research suggests that there is an increasing diversity in how users engage with modern visualizations, and that the traditional design theories do not always satisfy the varied users needs. In this paper, we present a new design concept, engagement-versatile design, for visualizations that target users with a variety of engagement styles. Without losing generality, we demonstrate the feasibility of this concept through the designing of a system called Stock Lamp, an engagement-versatile visualization that helps users keep track of the stock market in real-time. This design process includes identifying different modes of engagement, deriving design implications from each engagement-mode, and applying them to the visualization's design. Our user study shows that Stock Lamp is able to consistently relay market information even when the users are multi-tasking. We believe this study establishes a new concept that promotes a systematic design approach that leverages both theoretical and empirical design methodologies for future visualization development.