Designing with Data:
Uncovering the First Empirical Pipeline for Physicalization Design Process
Designing with Data:
Uncovering the First Empirical Pipeline for Physicalization Design Process
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Uncovering the First Empirical Pipeline for Physicalization Design Process
problem
problem
space
space
Data physicalization is becoming increasingly popular across art, education, self-tracking, and interactive installations. But while digital visualization benefits from mature tools and design models, physicalization lacks foundational support. In order to design support tools for physicaliztaion design process, we need to know the design process for this medium.
However, most existing design processes are borrowed from digital visualization linear, screen-based, and visually driven. These frameworks don’t reflect the complexities of working with physical materials, sensory interactions, or speculative thinking.
Resaerch question
Resaerch question
How do expert designers create physicalizations, and what can we learn from their real-world process to inform design tools and workflows?
How do expert designers create physicalizations, and what can we learn from their real-world process to inform design tools and workflows?
Research methodology
Research methodology
We conducted an in-depth qualitative study with 10 expert designers from HCI, visualization, and design backgrounds. Participants were asked to design physical data artifacts using a custom physicalization method (KiriPhys).
1st round of Data Analysis
1st round of Data Analysis
We used inductive open coding to analyze the design process across different collected data sources, including Think-Aloud Recordings, Co-Design Sketches, and Interviews, which captured participants’ reflections on their process, design reasoning, and speculative thinking.
We analyzed all design activities to understand the participants' key approaches and strategies while designing a data artifact.
Key Findings
Key Findings
Through our analysis and team discussions, the observed design themes coalesced into 5 groups of activities that participants engaged in while designing physicalizations.
2nd round of Data Analysis
2nd round of Data Analysis
Having identified these design activities, we engaged in a second round of data analysis, using the activities as a lens for axial coding. Each participant’s design session was further analyzed and depicted diagrammatically to understand the nuances of each participant’s design process.
See P2, P6 and P8 diagrams below, as examples.
P2 design process
P2 design process
This participant's process began with high-level conceptual thinking, envisioning the final physical outcomes before exploring the dataset. Their approach shows a speculative and reflective design style, frequently looping back to validate decisions against physical properties like expansion and elasticity.
This participant's process began with high-level conceptual thinking, envisioning the final physical outcomes before exploring the dataset. Their approach shows a speculative and reflective design style, frequently looping back to validate decisions against physical properties like expansion and elasticity.
P8’s design process
P8’s design process
P8 grounded their design in personal reflection, treating the dataset as autobiographical and mapping values to physical features based on their emotional or behavioral significance. Their iterative mapping focused on how physical sensations could embody lived experience.
P8 grounded their design in personal reflection, treating the dataset as autobiographical and mapping values to physical features based on their emotional or behavioral significance. Their iterative mapping focused on how physical sensations could embody lived experience.
P6’s design diagram
P6’s design diagram
P6 approached the design as an exploratory, tactile experience—starting from data exploration, then iterating between mapping and envisioning how the final artifact would feel and behave. Their process demonstrates how speculative thinking and feedforward reasoning guided both form and meaning.
This is the overview of all participintes design processes visualizaed diagrammatically.
This is the overview of all participintes design processes visualizaed diagrammatically.
Empirically-Derived Physicalization Design Process
Empirically-Derived Physicalization Design Process
Based on the collected design processes of all participants, we synthesized the following diagram to illustrate an empirically grounded approach to data physicalization design.
This shows how physical data artifacts are created through an iterative, non-linear process. Unlike the assumed pipelines, this process emphasizes back-and-forth transitions, speculative thinking, and continuous reflection on material and interactive qualities. At its core is Considering the Physical, a unique, cross-cutting activity that shaped nearly every design decision.
What We Found?
What We Found?
We discovered an interactive data physicalization design process formed of six activities, characterized by non-linear and highly iterative movements between them, quite different from the predominantly linear models currently in use. A key observed activity within this process is the concept of “Considering the Physical, which highlights the designer’s proactive forward-thinking when making design choices, considering the physical aspects of the results. Our findings suggest strategies for digitally supporting the interactive data physicalization process.
We discovered an interactive data physicalization design process formed of six activities, characterized by non-linear and highly iterative movements between them, quite different from the predominantly linear models currently in use. A key observed activity within this process is the concept of “Considering the Physical, which highlights the designer’s proactive forward-thinking when making design choices, considering the physical aspects of the results. Our findings suggest strategies for digitally supporting the interactive data physicalization process.
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