Complexity as Design Material

TL;DR

This paper advocates for a broader perspective on complexity in information design, viewing it as a valuable material that can enhance understanding rather than solely as a negative to be minimized.

Contribution

It introduces a nuanced view of complexity as a design material across all stages of sensemaking, encouraging its strategic integration in visualization practices.

Findings

Complexity occurs in data collection, analysis, and interpretation stages.

Using complexity intentionally can improve understanding and engagement.

Overlooking non-visual complexity can limit design effectiveness.

Abstract

Complexity is often seen as a inherent negative in information design, with the job of the designer being to reduce or eliminate complexity, and with principles like Tufte's "data-ink ratio" or "chartjunk" to operationalize minimalism and simplicity in visualizations. However, in this position paper, we call for a more expansive view of complexity as a design material, like color or texture or shape: an element of information design that can be used in many ways, many of which are beneficial to the goals of using data to understand the world around us. We describe complexity as a phenomenon that occurs not just in visual design but in every aspect of the sensemaking process, from data collection to interpretation. For each of these stages, we present examples of ways that these various forms of complexity can be used (or abused) in visualization design. We ultimately call on the visualization community to build a more nuanced view of complexity, to look for places to usefully integrate complexity in multiple stages of the design process, and, even when the goal is to reduce complexity, to look for the non-visual forms of complexity that may have otherwise been overlooked.