On 1st October, Mistra Geopolitics research school visited the Norrköping Decision Arena at Linköping University for a seminar on visualisation.
The Norrköping Decision Arena draws on recent research and development in interactive visualisation. Participants can simultaneously show several types of relevant information to facilitate dialogues on data interpretation as well as policies and measures.
The decision arena is a powerful tool for bringing stakeholders together. It makes it possible for up to nine participants to share their computer screens, compare and discuss. Mistra Geopolitics researchers Victoria Wibeck and Tina Neset, displayed interesting examples that contributed towards creating engaging discussions. This form of interactive discussion, clearly demonstrates how data visualisation can help in overlapping communication challenges connected to the local and global – by bringing together a variety of knowledge aspects.
“Meetings where participants are looking at one person’s presentation are not effective in, for example, urban planning and crisis management. Then you need different scenarios and actions can be easily compared. The arena is the answer to a need for greater interactivity”, says Mistra Geopolitics researcher and senior researcher at Linköping University Tina Neset, also director of the arena.
Victoria Wibeck’s research is investigating how people understand the complexities of issues such as climate change – an important aspect in how we understand the surrounding world in connection to other people. For this, the decision arena is an ideal place to start.
She showed us how big sets of data can be visualized and presented in an interactive way. It poses questions such as: What goes on when people use these tools? Do they understand and in that case, what and how do they understand? Does it make sense or does it become too simplified or too complicated?
For me, the visit at the Norrköping Decision Arena became a valuable insight as a new communications tool. How can we use this together with the program stakeholders? There are so many possibilities. Stay tuned!
Written by Eva Krutmeijer, Communications lead, Mistra Geopolitics.