This methodological paper sheds light on the use of maps as interviewing devices. The application example given is that of a regional innovation ecosystem in Colombia. A simplified, printed city map was employed to elicit innovation ecosystem patterns and success factors from experts. The paper shows the benefits, usage modes and results of conducting qualitative interviews with the help of cartographic representations. It also shows an example of how such results can be aggregated graphically.

Metavisualization designates graphic representations about the use of images. It aims at developing graphic methods that make it easier to oversee, find, select, create, evaluate, and refine visual representations. In this paper, we provide definitions, types, examples, and quality criteria of such depictions, and review their current and future uses. We distinguish among five useful types of such picture compilations, namely 1) visual image classifications, 2) graphic visualization guides, 3) image configurations, 4) chart comparisons, and 5) visual bias checklists.

This paper reports on the real-time use of graphic frameworks in panel discussions in the context of business, science or policy conferences. While panel discussions of 3-6 expert panelists are ubiquitous and prominent, almost no research so far has analyzed their communication challenges and potential for visual support. Hence, this paper aims to analyze panel discussions from a visual perspective to identify recurring pitfalls and potential enhancements, particularly regarding the use of real-time, visual support through facilitation or whiteboarding software. It reports on the pilot uses of simple interactive visual frameworks to structure panel conversations and capture their main contributions graphically for the audience in real-time.

The aim of this paper is to introduce a set of five versatile graphic representation formats called visual variations that allow anyone to represent qualitative insights systematically, concisely and in an expansive way. This “bar chart for knowledge” is based on Marton's seminal variation theory to improve learning and comprehension and makes its mechanisms actionable within the realm of a simple graphic notation consisting of five visual patterns: 1. The ‘Approaches’ pattern to visualize different fitting and problematic solutions to a problem. 2. The concise and expansive ‘Scenarios’ pattern to visualize possible futures. 3. The chronological ‘Segments’ pattern to visualize processes and events. 4. The powerful ‘Configurations’ pattern to depict solution architectures. 5. The memorable “Mutations” pattern based on visual metaphors to represent classifications. These patterns follow the principle that you only understand something if you understand it in more than one way. The paper describes the method's key idea, background, application areas, and evaluation results, as well as numerous examples from the realm of technology, business, and psychology. It concludes by pointing out future development directions for the visual variation methodology.

As discussions move online, we need means that compensate for what we take for granted in face-to-face meetings: voice modulation, mimics, or gestures. There are three functions of these 'metadiscoursive' expressions: 1) to navigate conversations and to direct the attention of our interlocutors, deciding what to discuss, reviewing what has been said, or how things are framed 2) to signal attitudes such as agreement or disagreement, or the level of certainty or commitment and 3) to annotate (visual) content with comments. These functions are crucial for the quality of discussions and can benefit from information visualization. To do this, we propose a classification of navigational moves and attitudes and their visual representation in form of "Navicons" and "Atticons". These icons help to improve the quality of online or face to face discussions, to plan conversations in advance, or to analyze past discussions. An example and outlook conclude the paper.

Social entrepreneurship is an emerging field which has the power to change the way we do business and resolve societal challenges. Visualization has not yet been systematically applied to support social entrepreneurs in creating, growing and scaling their ventures. We thus propose a framework for the use of knowledge visualization in the creation and development of social enterprises. We posit that each phase of the social venturing process requires a different knowledge visualization method. These diverse types of (interactive) graphic representations help social entrepreneurs cope with resource constraints and interact with a great variety of stakeholders. In this contribution we thus show that knowledge visualization can provide versatile and inexpensive ways to augment social entrepreneurs' activities systematically.

In this study we examine the effect of visual facilitation mode on perceived team creativity and satisfaction, as well as on idea diversity. In an experimental study with 73 real-life managers, we have compared three facilitation conditions for team-based business model innovation sessions: graphic facilitation with a fixed poster template, software based facilitation with a visual creativity process, and self-facilitated flip chart sessions. Based on activity theory, we hypothesize that visual groups outperform the control groups. Teams were given one hour to develop novel ideas for the business model of a daily newspaper. The statistical analysis of the survey-based feedback from the participants reveals that facilitation mode has a significant effect on the perceived team process. Specifically, visual approaches seem to increase constructive teamwork, and - if software supported - also perceived team creativity and process satisfaction. However, analyzing the generated ideas, we did not find differences with regard to idea diversity. Result satisfaction was also not significantly higher in visual groups. Based on these results, we generate a number of possible explanations that can be tested in future studies.

In this paper we propose a new graphic method for idea generation and creative problem solving called Paths to Success (P2S). P2S is a sketch-based creativity technique that is based on 15 existing creativity principles and the generative potential of images in general and sketching in particular. The goal of the method is to enable group-based and personal idea generation productivity through systematic, proven and varied creativity stimuli. The method, its background and rationale are described in the paper, as are first pilot-testing and evaluation results regarding its benefits and improvement needs. We conclude the paper by outlining future research opportunities to further test and develop the method.

In several research fields, qualitative interviewing(i.e., face-to-face individual interviews and focus groups) is an essential approach to gather high-quality, and deep data about a wide range of subjective experiences. Although being a well-established research method, qualitative interviewing is fraught with various shortcomings such as difficulties in initiating the interview process, in eliciting tacit knowledge and in avoiding information redundancies. In this paper, we propose the use of visual tools (e.g., visualization software) as a support to facilitate the interview process and to gather sound qualitative data. Visual representations provide structure, context and explicitness, and thus foster knowledge elicitation and sharing in interviews. Our contribution is two-fold: First, we provide a methodological extension of qualitative interviewing. Second, we suggest a practical approach to use visuals in interviews, presenting concrete examples from the research field. We conclude our paper by discussing the limitations of our approach, and by suggesting directions for future research on visualization-based interviewing.

In recent years we are witnessing a growing interest and use of knowledge visualization for communicating ideas and insights. Companies are deploying diagrams and knowledge maps to convey crucial business concepts. Scholars are reporting successful company cases, theorizing on the topic and compiling classifications and best practices. Yet few studies have attempted to prove the effectiveness of visualization, nor have they based their hypotheses on theories with predictive power. We aim to provide a contribution for the advancement of the field of knowledge visualization by testing the effects of different visualizations on the attitude toward its content. Second, we assess if visualization effectiveness is universal or culturally-bounded. We have conducted an experimental study, comparing text and two knowledge visualization types. The results of 231 subjects in Europe and India demonstrate that knowledge visualization has the power to increase the effectives of the message compared to text, and that these benefits replicate across different cultures.

The domain of knowledge visualization is a relatively young discipline that focuses on the collaborative use of interactive graphics to create, integrate and apply knowledge. This emerging approach nevertheless builds on decades of research on using images collaboratively for sense making and knowledge sharing. In this paper, we review seminal concepts from different disciplines that help to explain how visualizations can effectively act as collaboration catalysts and knowledge integrators. Our review makes it apparent that many different labels and conceptions exist in very different domains to explain the same phenomenon: the integrative power of visuals for knowledge-intensive collaboration processes. These concepts can be used to compile a list of the requirements of an effective knowledge visualization. We conclude the paper by showing the theoretical and practical implications of this review.

Growing evidence in the scientific literature and in organizations shows the positive impact of employing conceptual visual representation for individual reasoning, communicating and facilitating meetings in organizations. 116 managers responded a questionnaire on the usefulness of 12 common business visualizations for typical knowledge tasks in organizations. The resulting ranking provides an overview of the comparative suitability of visualizations for generating ideas, sharing knowledge, evaluating options and planning. The findings can be used by organizations for evaluating visual templates as a support for specific knowledge tasks. Theoretical implications include the relationship between the structure level of knowledge visualization forms and convergent/divergent task type. Further implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Although the application of sketch-based chart annotation is not pervasive in management, the use of sketchmarks can provide numerous benefits to managerial discussions. The collaborative use of chart annotations can support management teams in their decision making based on quantitative charts by visually eliciting and capturing interpretation processes, clarifying basic assumptions, stimulating different perspectives, and extrapolating trends into the future. Sketch-based annotations combine the simplicity and immediacy of drawing with the clarity and richness of charting. In this paper, we provide the rationale for this under-researched visual management and communication practice, illustrate it through examples, and - as our main contribution - provide a first overview classification of the different sketchmarks that management groups can use in their discussion of quantitative charts (for such contexts as strategy or project reviews). In the end of the paper we briefly describe our future research in this area and highlight implications for management.

An experiment was conducted to add empirical evidence whether the use of visualization is better than text in the communication of business strategies. Seventy-four managers who took part in an Executive MBA program saw a presentation of the simplified strategy of BMW Financial Services. The visual support of the presentation was manipulated by the author and the according effects were measured. Three different types of visual support were chosen: text in the form of PowerPoint (1), visualization in the form of a visual metaphor (2), and a roadmap (3). Each subject saw only one of the three types of visual support. The effects measured were attention, comprehension, agreement and retention. In addition the perception of the visual and the perception of the presenter were measured for each of the three conditions. Subjects who were exposed to visualization in the form of visual metaphor and roadmap paid significantly more attention to the strategy, agreed more with the strategy and recalled the strategy better than did subjects who saw text in the form of PowerPoint. No significant superiority was found for visualization compared to text in understanding the strategy. Subjects who were exposed to visualization in the form of visual metaphor and roadmap perceived the visual and the presenter significantly better than did those subjects who where exposed to text in the form of PowerPoint. In addition the perception of the visual accounted for 69% of the variation of the perception of the presenter.

Information visualization research typically focuses on the formal aspects of specific graphic solutions in terms of their thinking and/or communication support. This type of analysis often focuses on quantitative diagrams and emphasizes their attributes for specific tasks. Our contribution, by contrast, focuses on qualitative visual solutions and the factors that contribute to their wider diffusion. As many knowledge visualization solutions have not achieved wider use, the question of which factors foster diagram adoption seems to be a particularly relevant but under- researched topic. In this paper we develop and discuss three dimensions that foster knowledge visualization adoption: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived authority. We base our analysis on the Technology Adoption Model by Davis and the Perceived Characteristics of Innovations by Rogers. We illustrate these dimensions and their items through examples of business diagrams that have received wide recognition and we contrast them with negative examples.

A great corpus of studies reports empirical evidence of how information visualization supports comprehension and analysis of data. The benefits of visualization for synchronous group knowledge work, however, have not been addressed extensively. Anecdotal evidence and use cases illustrate the benefits of synchronous collaborative information visualization, but very few empirical studies have rigorously examined the impact of visualization on group knowledge work. We have consequently designed and conducted an experiment in which we have analyzed the impact of visualization on knowledge sharing in situated work groups. Our experimental study consists of evaluating the performance of 131 subjects (all experienced managers) in groups of 5 (for a total of 26 groups), working together on a real-life knowledge sharing task. We compare (1) the control condition (no visualization provided), with two visualization supports: (2) optimal and (3) suboptimal visualization (based on a previous survey). The facilitator of each group was asked to populate the provided interactive visual template with insights from the group, and to organize the contributions according to the group consensus. We have evaluated the results through both objective and subjective measures. Our statistical analysis clearly shows that interactive visualization has a statistically significant, objective and positive impact on the outcomes of knowledge sharing, but that the subjects seem not to be aware of this. In particular, groups supported by visualization achieved higher productivity, higher quality of outcome and greater knowledge gains. No statistically significant results could be found between an optimal and a suboptimal visualization though (as classified by the pre-experiment survey). Subjects also did not seem to be aware of the benefits that the visualizations provided as no difference between the visualization and the control conditions was found for the self-reported measures of satisfaction and participation. An implication of our study for information visualization applications is to extend them by using real-time group annotation functionalities that aid in the group sense making process of the represented data.

The use of visuals as collaboration catalysts has recently gained attention in research on group work, knowledge management, sense making, and collaboration in general. A special feature of such visualizations (i.e., sketches, diagrams, visual metaphors, etc.) is their ambiguity or their quality to be open to multiple interpretations. While such ambiguities may cause misunderstandings and lead to loosing valuable time, they also offer the potential to reveal new insights, facilitate ad-hoc discoveries, reframe issues, increase identification, or stimulate group sense making. In this article we propose that visual ambiguity in group contexts is a relational variable that depends on three elements: the properties of the image, the people interpreting the image, and the interaction. We use these categories to propose a more fine-grained categorization consisting of seven types visual ambiguity: icon, symbol, index, interpreter background, familiarity, reference and scope ambiguity. We discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of visual ambiguity for collaboration, as well as ways of exploiting or reducing it. Our contribution sensitizes researchers and practitioners to the crucial and often overlooked role of ambiguity in visual group communication, particularly in collaborative contexts. We highlight the diverse forms of visual ambiguity and how to use this communicative challenge as a resource rather than simply a risk. A discussion of future research needs concludes the article.

This paper presents an empirically derived taxonomy of managerial visualization methods by reporting on the results of picture sorting experiments with a total of 65 participants (37 students and 15 experienced and 13 young managers). Participants were asked to group 30 thumb nailed images of visualization- based methods based on their spontaneous judgments of similarity. By conducting an average cluster analysis on the resulting similarity matrix (based on a pair-wise analysis of group co-membership), an overall classification system emerged from the participants' groupings that revealed salient classification attributes as well as insights into the grouping rationale of students and (junior and senior) managers. As a main result, we present a dendrogram of thirty visual methods and its limitations due to biases in the perception of the participants, diagram novelty, and due to ambiguous conventions employed in some diagrams. In addition, we present a list of salient grouping attributes used by the participants. These attributes, as well as the derived guidelines, can be used for future classification systems in the area of managerial visualization methods.

This paper discusses pragmatic ways of classifying knowledge maps to give an overview of their application formats and contexts. We show where and how the term knowledge map has been previously used and what criteria must be met in a sound and useful knowledge map classification. Various possible classification principles are presented. A table matches map formats to purposes and contents to serve as a selection framework in knowledge management processes. Examples of some of the main types of knowledge maps are presented to illustrate the varieties of knowledge mapping present in the classifications. The article concludes by discussing its limitations and future research questions

This article confronts the discourse on persistence in mediated interactions to the one in face-to-face conversations and outlines various areas of development. We argue for distinguishing different kinds of persistence depending on the type of conversation and focus on graphic persistence of knowledge intensive conversations. In a second part, we describe specific requirements for conversational tools aiming to make the processes and the outcomes of knowledge intensive conversations traceable and correctible (i.e. persistent). In order to do so, two conversational tools are presented. Based on this presentation and referring to dialogue theory, we discuss requirements for applications that support two types of knowledge intensive conversations.