Fixation and Creativity in Data Visualization Design: Experiences and Perspectives of Practitioners
This addresses the underdeveloped literature on creativity in data visualization for professional designers, though it is incremental as it focuses on qualitative insights rather than novel solutions.
The study investigated design fixation in data visualization by interviewing 15 practitioners to understand its nature, causes, and mitigation factors, identifying opportunities for future research in chart recommendations and inspiration.
Data visualization design often requires creativity, and research is needed to understand its nature and means for promoting it. The current visualization literature on creativity is not well developed, especially with respect to the experiences of professional data visualization designers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 data visualization practitioners, focusing on a specific aspect of creativity known as design fixation. Fixation occurs when designers adhere blindly or prematurely to a set of ideas that limit creative outcomes. We present practitioners' experiences and perspectives from their own design practice, specifically focusing on their views of (i) the nature of fixation, (ii) factors encouraging fixation, and (iii) factors discouraging fixation. We identify opportunities for future research related to chart recommendations, inspiration, and perspective shifts in data visualization design.