How Does Representation Modality Affect User-Experience of Data Artifacts?

We present a study that explores people’s affective responses when experiencing data represented through different modalities. In particular, we are interested in investigating how data representations that address haptic/tactile and sonic perception are experienced. We describe the creation of a number of data-driven artifacts that all represent the same dataset. In taking a phenomenological approach to our analysis, we used the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT) during a group session to elicit participant’s personal constructs, which are used to describe and compare these artifacts. Our analysis examines these, traces the emergence of one exemplary personal construct and highlights other emergent themes. Our findings consist of a number of elicited constructs that illuminate how the affective qualities of data driven artifacts relate to the type of modality in use.