Inspired by information: combining data visualization and generative techniques in early stage design research
Graham Dove · City Research Online (City University London) · 2013
The growth in online services and ubiquitous computing has resulted in organizations holding large amounts of valuable data. The technical and monetary barriers to reusing these data for new products or services are relatively low. To be successful however, such products or services require a potentially radical re-framing so that these data acquire new meaning. In addition, the contexts surrounding these data present all the difficulties associated with ‘wicked problems’. In this paper I will outline research investigating how we might utilize generative design methods, creativity techniques and information visualization to address some of the challenges in this design space. These challenges include the need to better understand what these data mean at present, how the context they come from is experienced and what these data could potentially do or mean in future. This will be illustrated with the work undertaken in two case studies.