Design Guidelines for Ambient Software Visualization in the Workplace

Success in software development dictates that the right information reaches the right people. In the development process, information flows among developers, managers, and customers. The information is represented in a multitude of sources: customer requirements, application domains, product specifications, development processes, schedules, budgets, project status reports, and task priorities. Unfortunately, in the transmission of information, vital tidbits are filtered away, made inaccessible, or withheld from the stakeholders. Software visualization systems have traditionally focused on the complexities of the relations and detailed structure of the software artifacts. Recently, attention has been given to visualizing software artifacts from the perspective of supporting teams in coordinating efforts. In this paper, we describe the nature of this information source and provide design guidelines for developing ambient software visualizations in the workplace. In particular, we describe how developers can better understand more about project management, recall and perform tasks in their personal work flow, and coordinate project state that is continually changing.