American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials
Special Committee on
Research and Innovation
FY2023 NCHRP PROBLEM
STATEMENT TEMPLATE
Problem
Number: 2023-B-08
Problem
Title
A Guide for Creating Effective Visualizations
Background
Information and Need For Research
A visualization can be “effective” in several ways:
providing information, informing policy and decision making, and influencing
behavior. There is little guidance on how to systematically evaluate a
visualization’s effectiveness by either of these measures. This problem affects
both transportation professionals and the traveling public – including movers
of freight.
Even with clear visualizations providing insight –
sophisticated “nuggets of truth” from vast amounts of information and solutions
to vexing problems, there may be viewers who do not comprehend or respond.
Developing a means to evaluate the effectiveness of visualizations deployed
internally and externally would significantly enhance their value.
This research addresses this problem by: evaluating the
effectiveness of noteworthy practices currently being pioneered by state DOTs
that were documented, but not assessed, in previous NCHRP projects; addressing
the new tools that have proliferated, such as Tableau, R, Infogram; and
ultimately developing an easy-to-use guide to creating effective
visualizations.
Literature
Search Summary
NCHRP Synthesis 52-16, Visualization of Highway
Performance Measures, identified the problem stated above; there is little
guidance or widely shared practices on how to evaluate a visualization’s
effectiveness using a systematic process. This research will build and expand
upon that research, as well as NCHRP 226, Vizguide, NCHRP Project
20-24(93)B(02), Communicating Performance Management, and NCHRP Synthesis
20-05/Topic 52-16 Visualizing of Highway Performance Measures.
Research
Objective
The object of this research is to develop an easy-to-use
guide for evaluating the effectiveness of transportation visualizations that
state DOTs can use to improve communication and decision-making. With this
guide, state DOTs will have the tools to hone their message, manage the data
overload that occurs in visualizations and impact travel behavior with
effective visual data increasing safety, security and mobility.
The suggested tasks for this research are:
1) Research
the essential components of what makes a visualization effective. Build off
NCHRP 226 and 20-24(93)B(02). Evaluate the visualization techniques and
practices documented in NCHRP Synthesis 52-16.
2) Create a
guidebook that clearly communicates how to approach a new visualization and
guide its creation.
3) Evaluates
how to gain feedback on the effectiveness of a visualization in communicating
information and influencing behavior, and also facilitates decision making.
This could build off practices currently used for public service announcements
(PSA).
4) Identify
or develop noteworthy practices for evaluating the effectiveness of a
visualization.
5) Create a
Guidebook that provides state DOTs with options for evaluating the
effectiveness of a visualization.
6) Integrate
the two elements – creation and evaluation – into a guide that demonstrates the
feedback loop of continuous improvement enabled by joining these two
functions.
7) Establish
an online case study website that showcases exceptional and innovative
visualizations. This could include a category for the use of emerging data and
emerging analytic capacity so state DOTs could maintain currency in innovative
practices. The website would be updated by the TRB AED80 Visualization in
Transportation Committee yearly by acknowledging award winning entries.
Urgency
and Potential Benefits
Effective data visualization has the power to
dramatically improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system.
Previous research demonstrates that state DOTs have invested considerable time
and expertise in developing visualizations for performance measures and need to
communicate results effectively.
This guide would build on and evolve prior work by
developing clear guidance on how to create effective visualizations and how to
evaluate their effectiveness. It will enable states to focus and capitalize
upon the investment, time and expertise they are currently deploying. It will
provide a roadmap to the states who are in the early development of their
visualization efforts and will provide an opportunity for well-established
programs to expand their efforts by evaluating the effectiveness of their
visualizations.
Addressing the creation and evaluation of effective
visualizations together creates a feedback loop that enables and promotes
continuous improvement.
Implementation
Considerations
Transportation planners and practitioners responsible for
analyzing and communicating data through visualization have a great need for
this research. This guide has a built-in audience of the users of both previous
research efforts and the Transportation Asset Management (TAM) portal.
Additionally, the guide would lend itself to promotion through the committees
of the TRB data section, particularly AED80; and the AASHTO Committee
structure, particularly CDMA (Data), COP (Planning), CPBM (Performance), and
TAM (Asset management).
Recommended
Research Funding and Research Period
This research could be executed and implemented for
$415k, over two years
Problem
Statement Author(S): For each author, provide their name, affiliation, email
address and phone.
Frank Broen, Metroanalytics, frank@metroanalytics.com, 850-528-6056
Nathan Higgins,
Slalom, nate.higgins@slalom.com, 617.460.9676
Potential
Panel Members: For each panel member, provide their name, affiliation,
email address and phone.
Matt Haubrich, Iowa DOT, matthew.haubrich@iowadot.us,
515-233-7902
Anne-Marie
McDonnell, CTDOT, Annemarie.mcdonnell@ct.gov, 860-533-9611
Jessica VanDenBogaert, FDOT,
Jessica.vandenbogaert@dot.state.fl.us, 850-414-4631
William Johnson, CDOT, will.johnson@state.co.us,
303-512-4808
Matt Swift, ODOT, mswift@odot.org, 405-521-2704
Stephanie Marik, ODOT, Stephanie.Marik@dot.ohio.gov,
614-752-6971
Cindy Owings, MDOT, cindy.owings@maine.gov, 207-624-3000
Craig T. Casper, Corpus Christi MPO, ccasper@cctxmpo.us,
361.884.0687
Person
Submitting The Problem Statement:
Name, affiliation, email address and phone.
Penelope Weinberger, AASHTO, pweinberger@aashto.org,
202-624-3556
On behalf of the AASHTO Committees on Planning (COP),
Performance Based Management (CPBM), and Data Management and Analytics (CDMA)