Audience-Targeted Design Considerations for Effective Scientific Storytelling

An effective visualization must be carefully designed according to its purpose. This article describes three projects focused on scientific storytelling in a different domain area and for a different target audience. The authors describe the lessons learned working in each scientific field and the techniques used to tailor the visual narrative to a specific audience type. The three projects are a visualization of particle accelerator data designed for domain scientists, a presentation of new findings from the fusion community designed for nonexpert adults, and an interactive exhibit of phytoplankton populations tailored toward museum visitors, especially children. Special design decisions had to be made to handle the unique conditions of each scientific area as well as the given background knowledge of the target audience. By evaluating the effectiveness of each of method, the authors gain insight into which aspects become important in developing a visualization with maximum usability.