Visible Disparity, 2019

Niloofar Khoda Bakhsh, Stephen Leber, Pierre Sagarminaga

Abstract: Cell-phones and computers and their interactive surfaces have become common technological platforms for people to view data visualizations. Though these interfaces have had great improvements over the years, they provide only a singular experience and this is not entirely suitable or appropriate for groups of people wishing to analyze and discuss their data together in the same space. Visible Disparity is a group effort to design a collaborative space for exploring and discussing geovisualizations with the goal of freeing users from the confines of digital screens. The development team behind this project utilized a Human Centered Design approach to create an experience where multiple people can control the visibility of the datasets by moving Augmented Reality marker cards on the surface of a round table. The content’s focus is on the increasing economic disparity within the city of Oakland, California, including data on rent and access to resources such as Bay Area transportation and public schools. The team used the Processing programming language to code the visualizations and the Spatial Augmented Reality(SAR) environment. The foundation of the project was built using Unfolding maps, a coding library specialized for geovisualizations, and PapARt, an augmented reality library that handles the detection of user interactions. PapARt functions with a camera and a projector housed in a pendant lamp that tracks and responded to users’ feedback. The findings from user testing sessions with different groups of participants confirmed that SAR holds great potential for bringing people together for the sake of collaboration and conversations over data. Data visualizations in a SAR space can become part of educational environments that practice project-based learning to engage students in learning processes.

Keywords: Spatial Augmented Reality, Collaborative Data Visualization, Tangible User Interface, Human- Centered Design, Geovisualization

Team:

Niloo Khodabakhsh is an interaction designer with a background in graphic design and fine arts. She has a passion for raising awareness about gender and social inequalities through her knowledge of technology and design. During her past three years at CSUEB, she has explored data visualizations and mixed reality platforms to demonstrate her interests.

Pierre Sagarminaga is an interaction design multimedia artist with interests in speculative fiction, futuristic narratives, and everything science fiction. He has 12 years of experience in Information Technology and is now planning on furthering his career in the cutting-edge technologies of augmented and virtual realities.

Stephen C. Leber is a creative gentleman specializing in Multimedia and interaction design. He enjoys practicing art and design as well as more technical pursuits such as wiring and programming. Leber attended San Jose’ State University for undergrad where he studied pictorial art and minored in graphic design. He transferred to Cal State East Bay for graduate studies and has created both an individual thesis project, called the Aspie Auditory Simulation Machine, and was part of a group thesis project called Visible Disparity.

Thesis Video: