Visualizing epidemiological models for policy: design principles for effective communication

Communicating scientific ideas to policy actors is a longstanding challenge, especially in epidemiological modeling where evidence is inherently uncertain. Central to this communication is visualization-the graphic representation of complex epidemiological modeling concepts through figures, plots, and charts. Effective model visualizations should be clear, simple, and easy to understand. This article brings theory from vision science to equip modelers in developing their understanding of and ability to assess and improve visualizations in their own settings. Designers can leverage fundamentals in vision science to aid their communication of modeling concepts to policymakers. We classify the different ways a modeling visual might fail and provide the necessary theory and examples for overcoming these problems in an epidemiological setting.