¹University of California, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.

Correspondence: Jeffrey Heer, Soda Hall # 1776, Computer Science Division, EECS Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-1776, U.S.A. Fax: +1 510 642 5775; E-mail: jheer@cs.berkeley.edu

Received 1 December 2007; Accepted 5 January 2008; Published online 21 February 2008.

Abstract

Visualizations leverage the human visual system to support the process of sensemaking, in which information is collected, organized, and analyzed to generate knowledge and inform action. Although most research to date assumes a single-user focus on perceptual and cognitive processes, in practice, sensemaking is often a social process involving parallelization of effort, discussion, and consensus building. Thus, to fully support sensemaking, interactive visualization should also support social interaction. However, the most appropriate collaboration mechanisms for supporting this interaction are not immediately clear. In this article, we present design considerations for asynchronous collaboration in visual analysis environments, highlighting issues of work parallelization, communication, and social organization. These considerations provide a guide for the design and evaluation of collaborative visualization systems.