PhysLens: Enrich Data Physicalization through a Lens of Details

Data physicalization unlocks the opportunity for us to more closely engage with data, to learn about ourselves and our environments. However, data physicalization artifacts are often abstract without details, leading to an assumption-based interpretation. In this work, we propose an interaction approach called “Integrated Data Physicalization” – highlighting the hybrid integration with an additional digital interface as PhysLens next to a data physicalization artifact. PhysLens guides users in exploring data mapping details in data physicalization. Together with an exemplar data physicalization artifact that encodes indoor environmental data, PhysLens was evaluated in a semi-lab setting (N=16). The hybrid approach of interacting with the data physicalization helped and played an essential role for individuals to understand data physicalization through detailed information. The potential of integrating PhysLens longitudinally was demonstrated with its possible expandability in personalizing physicalization, providing data scales, integrating IoT control, and resurfacing different temporal moments of the data.