Bridging the gaps

The aim of visualization is to enable users to obtain insight, and not just to produce images. Hence, if we want to make progress in the field of visualization, close cooperation with users is essential, but such cooperation is not without problems. There are two major gaps to be bridged. First, there's a knowledge gap between the visualization expert and domain expert. The visualization expert must spend much effort to understand what the domain expert is studying and what his or her concerns are. Second, there is an interest gap. A visualization researcher will aim at new methods and results, whereas the domain expert primarily needs a useful tool. This article discusses various modes for cooperation, in view of these gaps. The royal road is to use user-centered design, but this can be time consuming and does not necessarily lead to innovative results. The latter holds even stronger when a visualization expert just acts (or is viewed as) a tool smith. In contrast, a visualization expert can also operate as a computer scientist, and focus just on the parts of the puzzle where he or she already has expertise. Finally, the article discusses a purely curiosity driven approach, where the visualization expert acts as domain expert. © 2006 IEEE.