Analysing the impact of natural metaphors in visualising COVID 19 data

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a significant increase in data visualisations. Using visual metaphors in data visualisation are increasingly used in research to enhance communication and understanding, especially when dealing with complex spatial data. Metaphors can objectively represent information and help users detect information, recognize meaningful patterns, infer conclusions, and make judgments. This study aims to explore the impacts of incorporating metaphors in the visualisation of epidemiological data, particularly in the context of diseases like COVID-19. However, it is essential to acknowledge that visual metaphors may imply conflicting attributes arising from their original concepts, potentially influencing users' interpretations adversely. Consequently, we will assess users' ability to navigate these natural metaphors, considering their distinctive features, in conjunction with exposure to standard visualisations. This research suggests that using natural metaphors that have been parameterised to mirror real world phenomena in representing COVID-19 might be difficult to process but the information understanding is similar to that of standard visualisation techniques.