The Social Construction of Visualizations: Practitioner Challenges and Experiences of Visualizing Race and Gender Demographic Data

Abstract

Data visualizations are increasingly seen as socially constructed, with several recent studies positing that perceptions and interpretations of visualization artifacts are shaped through complex sets of interactions between members of a community. However, most of these works have focused on audiences and researchers, and little is known about if and how practitioners account for the socially constructed framing of data visualization. In this paper, we study and analyze how visualization practitioners understand the influence of their beliefs, values, and biases in their design processes and the challenges they experience. In 17 semi-structured interviews with designers working with race and gender demographic data, we find that a complex mix of factors interact to inform how practitioners approach their design process, including their personal experiences, values, and their understandings of power, neutrality, and politics. Based on our findings, we suggest a series of implications for research and practice in this space.