Abstract: This thesis presents novel forms and tools to communicating data and creating visualizations. With the proliferation of data-driven practices, data visualizations are essential for the analysis of data as well as the communication to diverse stakeholders. Yet, the design of visualization and communication of data are made challenging by the complexity of the real-world phenomena represented by the data, the datasets themselves and the expertise of the analysts and communicators. Hence, in this thesis, I seek answers to the questions How to support people present and explain complex data? and How to help them create and use visualization effectively? I summarize research addressing three respective key challenges within this context: (i) the creation and study of forms for data-driven storytelling and communication (data comics, dashboards, visualization atlases, visualization articles, dataGIFs); (ii) the design and implementation of tools to design, create and use visualization (authoring interactive data comics, semi-automatic data tours, a network visualization grammar); and (iii) the education in skills related to visualization literacy and design (challenges experienced in exploring networks, challenges in visualization education, automatic explanation of visual patterns). I conclude with a discussion of future research directions around novel forms of storytelling, visualization authoring and design, and visualization education.
Bio: Benjamin is a Researche Scientist at the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) within the Bivwac Team, Bordeaux. He is also an Associate Professor (Reader) at the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburghy where he founded the VisHub research group. Benjamin's research investigates more effective and efficient data visualizations, interfaces, and tools for data analysis, communication, and education. He is regularly collaborating with social scientists, historians, biologists, peace reserachers, and public organizations. Benjamin was named Significant New Researcher by the IEEE VIS conference (2021) and Eurographics Young Researcher (2019). His PhD received a VGTC Best Thesis honorable mention award (2014). https://vishub.net/bach