Seeing things the same way: perspectives and lessons learned from research-design collaborations
Sabrina Mangal, Lauren Berger, Jean‐Marie Bruzzese, Alexandra de la Cruz, Maichou Lor, Imama Ali Naqvi, Eugenio Solis de Ovando, Nicole Spiegel-Gotsch, Samantha Stonbraker, Adriana Arcia · Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association · 2023
Information visualizations are increasingly being developed by informatics researchers to communicate health information to lay audiences. For high-quality results, it is advisable to collaborate with creative professionals such as graphic designers, illustrators, or user interface/user experience designers. However, such collaborations are often a novel experience for both parties, each of which may be unfamiliar with the needs and processes of the other. We have coalesced our experiences from both the research and design perspectives to offer practical guidance in hopes of promoting the success of future collaborations. We offer suggestions for determining design needs, communicating with design professionals, and carrying out the design process. We assert that successful collaborations are predicated on careful and intentional planning at the outset of a project, a thorough understanding of each party's scope expertise, clear communication, and ample time for the design process to unfold.