Empowering the Masses: Democratizing Data through Visualizations
Friday, November 17, 2023 11 AM
About this Event
6760 Forest Park Pkwy, St. Louis, MO 63105, USA
Nam Wook Kim
Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Science
Boston College
From understanding the world around us to informing decision-making and driving innovation, data is pivotal in our daily lives. However, extracting insights from data and effectively communicating them often requires complex statistical techniques, software, and programming languages that can be daunting for those without specialized knowledge or training. A central question guiding my research is, “How can we make this data more accessible to broader audiences beyond just data-savvy experts?” This is where data visualizations step in, offering a powerful means of distilling intricate information into more digestible, intuitive forms.
Building on this premise, I will outline my research framework aimed at enabling individuals to create, evaluate, and comprehend data visualizations that are now ubiquitous across disciplines. First, I will showcase innovative visualization tools to interact with data for diverse stakeholders such as designers and data journalists. Next, I will introduce strategies that equip practitioners to assess the quality of their visualizations, both to counteract misinformed designs and bridge the existing knowledge gap. Lastly, I will shift to enhancing inclusivity in data visualization, where I will delve into our ongoing work on data visualization accessibility for blind and low-vision people. I will wrap up the talk by exploring future directions, emphasizing the transformative potential of recent AI advancements to broaden data accessibility for everyone.