Abstract:
Distributed cognition and embodiment provide compelling models for how humans
think and interact with the environment. Our examination of the use of large,
high-resolution displays from an embodied perspective has lead directly to
the development of a new sensemaking environment called Analyst's Workspace
(AW). AW leverages the embodied resources made more accessible through the
physical nature of the display to create a spatial workspace. By combining
spatial layout of documents and other artifacts with an entity-centric,
explorative investigative approach, AW aims to allow the analyst to
externalize elements of the sensemaking process as a part of the
investigation, integrated into the visual representations of the data itself.
In this paper, we describe the various capabilities of AW and discuss the key
principles and concepts underlying its design, emphasizing unique design
principles for designing visual analytic tools for large, high-resolution
displays.