Perception! Immersion! Empowerment! Superpowers as Inspiration for Visualization presented by SeongOuk Kim

1. 2022.04.08
Perception! Immersion! Empowerment!
Superpowers as Inspiration for Visualization
Wesley Willett, Bon Adriel Aseniero, Sheelagh Carpendale, Pierre Dragicevic, Yvonne Jansen, Lora
Oehlberg, and Petra Isenberg
IEEE VIS 2021
SeongOuk Kim

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Related Works
• Methodology
• Enhanced Epistemic Abilities In
Fiction
• Dimensions of Empowerment in
Epistemic Tools
• New Directions for “Empowering”
Visualizations
• Discussion
• Conclusion

3. 3
Introduction
Motivations
• Visualization amplifies human cognition and abilities to engage with
data
• Fictional narratives introduces characters with extraordinary
epistemic abilities
• Similar, can get inspiration for new visualization
Contributions
• Framework that characterizes the common mechanisms for basis of
fictional abilities
• Framework that describes ways in which epistemic tools can give
people a sense of empowerment
• Discussions with these frameworks

4. 4
Related Works
Epistemic Activities vs. Other Human Activities
• Epistemic gestures vs. pragmatic gestures [Kirsch et al., 1994]
• Epistemic vs. ergotic vs. Semiotic gestures [Cadoz et al., 1994]
• Interaction as perception, cognitive understanding, and action
[Verplank et al., 2007]
Enhancing Epistemic Abilities in Visualization
• Abilities such as Memory and pattern recognition [Ware et al., 2004],
[Card et al., 1999], [Spence et al., 2007]
• Lack of concrete characterization that summarizes benefits

5. 5
Related Works
Fiction as a Critical Lens for Technology
• Design inspiration from science fiction [N. Shedroff et al., 2012]
• Design futuring from design fiction [R. Y. Wong et al., 2017], [Muller
et al., 2018], [B. Brown et al., 2016]
Superpower-Inspired Interactive Systems
• UI and interaction inspiration from superpowers [K. Ishbashi et al.,
2009], [M. Rietzler et al., 2017], [C. Voss et al., 2016]
• User studies, and interviews [M. Imura et al ., 2015], [R. Kajastila et
al., 2014]

6. 6
Methodology
Process
• 3 years of discussions
• Discussing about the reasons why
data might be invisible
• Surveying & classifying superheroes
with epistemic abilities
• Distilling, and making framework
for 7 basic mechanisms
• Surveying real-life analogues

7. 7
Methodology
Scope and Terminology
• Pragmatic superpowers – actively
manipulate things in physical world
• Epistemic superpowers – gain
knowledge about the world without
necessarily changing it
• Human vision, human cognition,
other senses…
• Epistemic tools – technological
system augmenting human’s
learning abilities

8. 8
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction

9. 9
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced Vision
• Long distance, small objects,
wide field of view, etc.
• EM rays outside of the visible
rays
• Vision with few/no lights
• See-through visions
• Described by call-out, zoom,
modified color, wide shot, etc.
• Real-world analogues
• See-through by X-ray,
ultrasonic waves, etc.
• Vision by computer modeling

10. 10
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Visual Synesthesia
• Non-visual properties into visual
• Sound, affect, chemical
composition, etc.
• Often illustrated for other
perceptions
• Real-world analogues
• Thermoscopes
• Seismoscopes
• Chladni plates

11. 11
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced attention
• Rapid attention to important
info and subtle details
• Described by visual highlighting,
zooms, re-framing, etc

12. 12
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced Numeracy
• Quick and accurate assessment
about large numbers
• Distances, angles, weights, etc.
• Described by dialogue, and
floating numbers, equations, etc.
• Real-world analogues
• Counting devices
• Calculators
• Measuring devices

13. 13
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced Recall
• Recollect past observations
• Usually photographic memory
• Described by flashbacks, visual
devices, etc. Often by dialogues

14. 14
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced comparison
• Quickly and accurately identify
differences/similarities
• Based on numeracy, attention,
or other perception skills

15. 15
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced Prediction
• Reasoning about future events
• True precognition, or
probabilistic reasoning
• Described by showing multiple
outcomes, statistics, etc.
• Real-world analogues
• Orreries
• Barometer
• Ballistic computer

16. 16
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Composing and Combining Mechanics
• Sherlock Holmes
• Sherlock Scan(attention + recall + comparison)
• Amadeus Cho
• Numeracy + prediction + comparison

17. 17
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Scope
• Set of objects or settings
• Limited by technical challenges
• Can broaden by instrumenting environments, or pre-modeling
• Tourist binoculars vs. portable binoculars

18. 18
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Access
• Who, how easily use the tool
• Exclusively vs concurrently
• Limited by technical challenges, and visualization literacy, etc.
• Specific location vs widely distributed/used remotely

19. 19
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Spatial Relevance
• Distance between where information is useful and where the
information is
• Relevance doesn’t always mean close distance
• Can trigger immediate and relevant actions
• AR can dramatically increase spatial relevance

20. 20
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Temporal Relevance
• Temporal offset between when information is useful and when the
information is
• Relevance doesn’t always mean close offset
• Can trigger immediate and relevant actions
• Developed to final granularities

21. 21
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Information Richness
• Quantity, variety, accuracy, quality, etc.
• Can dramatically affect to prediction
• See-through sensor vs measurement devices

22. 22
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Degree of Control
• How much freedom the wielder has, agency, directness, etc.
• Many sensors and visualization tools provide limited control
• Always-on tools vs configurable tools

23. 23
Dimensions of Empowerment in Epistemic Tools
Environment reality
• Real or artificial (Not how realistic)
• Visualizations usually have low reality
• Exploring real world vs. fictional world with VR

24. 24
New Directions for “Empowering” Visualizations
Enhanced Vision
• Thermal visions – thermal leaks,
electrical faults, fever, etc.
• Panoptic vision – 3D model of
surrounding world
• Building vision – inside the
building
Enhanced Synesthesia
• Emotion vision – changing
emotional state
• Music Vision – tones, harmonies,
rhythm, etc.

25. 25
New Directions for “Empowering” Visualizations
Enhanced Attention
• Acceleration vision –
acceleration of vehicle
• Debiased vision – detect bias
and highlight counterexamples
Enhanced Numeracy
• Counting vision – large or
abstract quantities
• Estimation vision – calibrate
estimations

26. 26
New Directions for “Empowering” Visualizations
Enhanced Prediction
• Queue vision – predict waiting
time in queue
• Shot vision – Opponents’
shooting, movement, etc.
Enhanced Comparison
• Measurement vision – extent
tradition AR measurement
• Remixed reality – reorganize
physical space

27. 27
Enhanced Epistemic Abilities in Fiction
Enhanced Recall
• Germ vision – key areas for
cleaning
• Patient vision – past histories of
patients

28. 28
Discussion
Superpower depiction as visual design inspiration
• Lack of technical details in media
Visualization and pragmatic superpowers
• Visualization can also give “pragmatic superpowers” to designers
Superpowers and the value of visualizations
• Can help to consider the broader range of evaluation metrics
Visualization supervillains?
• Can help to consider negative implications like surveillance
Fairness and accessibility
• Should consider variance of social, economic factors, and human
abilities

29. 29
Conclusion
• Explored epistemic superpowers as inspiration and real-world
analogues
• Provoke and encourage to examine more diverse sources for
visualization
• Usually Western Superhero on this paper, there are so many platforms
with opportunities
• This approaches can encourage creative and divergent thinking of
visualization

30. Thank you