Designing with Data: Supporting Design Processes in Physicalization Construction

There is a growing interest in representing data physically across various domains. However, our understanding of the physicalization design process is minimal, posing barriers to supporting designers and wider utilization of physicalization. In this work, we studied the dynamics of the physicalization design process, through the lens of KiriPhys, a Kirigami-inspired technique, to understand how physicalization designers navigate, iterate, and make decisions throughout their creative workflows. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study, observing physicalization/visualization experts design KiriPhys both freely and using a technology probe. From analysing the gathered data, 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 predominately linear models currently in use. A key observed activity within this process is the concept of feedforward, 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.