Reflection - Visualization

Challenge

Visualization is a design tool that I use whenever I have the chance to use it in a suitable setting. As I had  graduated this year, I had the chance to use this tool while writing my final year report, as well as through all  the research process while collecting research data. One of the main challenges that I had encountered through  my research was how to disclose such a huge amount of information that I had collected. To deal with this  challenge, I had to find a solution in order to reduce the number of words in my report, as well as I had to find  an appropriate and interesting way of how I will present my research results. Visualization helped me to  present my research insights in a well manner way for a diverse group of stakeholders, which encompassed  municipal authorities, designers, architects, gardeners and park volunteers. In addition to that, it has also  contributed towards the achievement of a common understanding of my research itself, its main problem and  results. Furthermore, it had also helped me to identify and present the research problem and eventually define  and present my research results. On the occasion of my final research results presentation, where a group of  diverse people with different backgrounds and roles in the parks participated, I had presented my research  trough various means of imagery: schemes, maps, diagrams, tables, photographs. It made the presentation  much shorter, more interesting and more engaging, inviting the audience to discuss and talk about the research  and its results.

Selection

As visualization is one of the most essential design tools and, in my opinion, one of the most applicable and  universal design tools used in many different settings (especially, in researching and report writing), the  importance of visualization in my research was enormous and there were a couple reasons why it became such  an important and integral part of my research. Firstly, at the time of working on my research I was acquainted  with not that many design tools. As I can remember, I only knew visualization, mind-mapping, brainstorming  and etnography, though I had never heard about learning launch, journey mapping and other design tools. As  some of the known tools were only covered briefly in the beginning of my research, such as brainstorming and  mind-mapping, which were used while trying to bring all the ideas and thoughts about the research topic on a  sheet of paper, visualization was part of the research through all the process. Secondly, another stimulus to use  visualization was its capability to make information tangible and concrete, so in my research case, it had to be  used in order to disclose a huge amount of information that I had collected in a limited time manner and for a  specific audience. Furthermore, since visualization is about using imagery to make an abstract idea more  public and concrete, so that idea would be more visible, clear and understandable to others, for the setting of  public presentation it was a great tool to be used. With all that being said, visualization just had to be chosen  and incorporate into my research.

Application

The beginning of visualization could be considered my conceptual model table scheme (Fig. 1). This scheme  was only finalized at the end of the research, as some of the variables had to change. However, in the  beginning, even before having this scheme or its beginnings, I came up with three main questions which  become the basis of its structure: what? how? and what for? Firstly, the upper part of the scheme from the  question what? became Involvement and mobilization of park communities. Just below after the statement it  splits into several parts, which define the definition of a park community used in the research: gardeners  (maintainers), community-based groups, park visitors (users). Following that, the second part of the scheme is  in the middle and it answers question how? It answers the question of how the involvement and mobilization

of park communities is going to be achieved - through citizen participation, which has five main variables:  sense of community, norms of activism, opportunities for involvement, collective efficacy and community  problems. Finally, the final part of the scheme is at the bottom. This part answers the question what for? what  is it for? what is the purpose? And the answer is More democratic, inclusive and sustainable public space  (park) planning, management and maintenance, which was the ultimate goal in this research.

Aside on making other kind of visuals, this was one of the main visualizations that was used while researching,  discussing with colleagues about the research, its structure, aspirations, as well as while presenting the final  research results. Although the scheme looks very simple and succinct, in order to express the main research  goals and research approach it was more than enough. Finally, I could state that the application of visualization  was successful, as all the aspirations that I had in the beginning,  all the variables that the scheme had encompassed were  accomplished and the results of the research nicely aligned with  the scheme. The scheme also lightened the research process, as I  had saved lots of precious time while explaining the main idea  of my research and also made the research process much easier  and faster for myself. Worth mentioning that using schemes,  diagrams and maps while presenting the final results also made  the discussion more interesting, more engaging and easier to  understand. In addition to that, maybe it also made a better  expression of me and made my presentation more memorable?

Insight & Approach

By applying the visualization tool, I managed to figure out the way of how my report should be structured, so  it quite a lot contributed to my research design. Additionally, it had me to think through anticipated results,  assumptions and research aspirations, so it has also contributed to the consistency of research. Furthermore, the  use of visualization thought me that visualization could elaborate the reinforcement of understanding between  people that are more and less active part of the research. The imagery gave a stimulus for discussions, where  different perspectives where shared and new insights were developed. The research results were very similar  and they did not differ a lot from the structured scheme.

Given the fact that the research was a comparative analysis about two physical objects (parks), as well as this  research author's experience with visualization more than other design tools, the choice of visualization in the  research process could be seen as appropriate and reasonable. In the future, I hope that I will have the chance  to work more on the improvement of visualization, as well as to incorporate this tool in future projects. The  only thing I could think of what could change - is the way of how visualization could be used in the stage of  surveying, to make the surveying process itself more interesting and engaging for the interviewees.

This course made me see many design tools (including visualization) in a different way. It made me to learn  some new design tools that I have never heard before. Before this course, I would have used some design tools  without even knowing that I am using a design tool. Now, however, it changed and from this day before  choosing a design tool I will be able to think about it more thoroughly and more reasonably.

Fig. 1. Conceptual model

