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During the past two decades, information visualisation (InfoVis) research has created new techniques and methods to support data- intensive analyses in science, industry and government. These have enabled a wide range of analyses tasks to be executed, with tasks varying in terms of the type and volume of data involved. However, the majority of this research has focused on static datasets, and the analysis and visualisation tasks tend to be carried out by trained expert users. In more recent years, social changes and technological advances have meant that data have become more and more dynamic, and are consumed by a wider audience. Examples of such dynamic data streams include e-mails, status updates, RSS 1 feeds, versioning systems, social networks and others. These new types of data are used by populations that are not specifically trained in information visualization. Some of these people might consist of casual users, while others might consist of people deeply involved with the data, but in both cases, they would not have received formal training in information visualization. For simplicity, throughout this dissertation, I refer to the people (casual users, novices, data experts) who have not been trained in information visualisation as non-experts.These social and technological changes have given rise to multiple challenges because most existing visualisation models and techniques are intended for experts, and assume static datasets. Few studies have been conducted that explore these challenges. In this dissertation, with my collaborators, I address the question: Can we empower non-experts in their use of visualisation by enabling them to contribute to data stream analysis as well as to create their own visualizations?The first step to answering this question is to determine whether people who are not trained in information visualisation and the data sciences can conduct useful dynamic analysis tasks using a visualisation system that is adapted to support their tasks. In the first part of this dissertation I focus on several scenarios and systems where different sized crowds of InfoVis non-experts users (20 to 300 and 2 000 to 700 000 people) use dynamic information visualisation to analyse dynamic data.Another important issue is the lack of generic design principles for the visual encoding of dynamic visualization. In this dissertation I design, define and explore a design space to represent dynamic data for non-experts. This design space is structured by visual tokens representing data items that provide the constructive material for the assembly over time of different visualizations, from classic represen- tations to new ones. To date, research on visual encoding has been focused on static datasets for specific tasks, leaving generic dynamic approaches unexplored and unexploited.In this thesis, I propose construction as a design paradigm for non-experts to author simple and dynamic visualizations. This paradigm is inspired by well-established developmental psychological theory as well as past and existing practices of visualisation authoring with tangible elements. I describe the simple conceptual components and processes underlying this paradigm, making it easier for the human computer interaction community to study and support this process for a wide range of visualizations. Finally, I use this paradigm and tangible tokens to study if and how non-experts are able to create, discuss and update their own visualizations. This study allows us to refine our previous model and provide a first exploration into how non-experts perform a visual mapping without software. In summary, this thesis contributes to the understanding of dynamic visualisation for non-expert users. ; Durant les 20 dernières années, la recherche en visualisation d'informations (InfoVis) a permis l'émergence de nouvelles techniques et méthodes qui permettent d'assister l'analyse de données intensives pour la science, l'industrie, et les gouvernements. Cependant, la plupart de ces travaux de recherches furent orientés sur des données statiques pour des utilisateurs experts.Dernièrement, des évolutions technologique et sociétales ont eu pour effet de rendre les données de plus en plus dynamiques et accessibles pour une population plus diverse. Par exemple des flux de données tels que les emails, les mises à jours de statuts sur les réseaux sociaux, les flux RSS, les systèmes de gestion de versions, et bien d'autres. Ces nouveaux types de données sont utilisés par une population qui n'est pas forcément entraînée ou éduquée à utiliser des visualisations de données. La plupart de ces personnes sont des utilisateurs occasionnels, d'autres utilisent très souvent ces données dans leurs travaux. Dans les deux cas, il est probable que ces personnes n'aient pas reçu de formation formelle en visualisation de données.Ces changements technologiques et sociétaux ont généré une multitude de nouveaux défis, car la plupart des techniques de visualisations sont conçues pour des experts et des bases de données statiques. Peu d'études ont été conduites pour explorer ces défis. Dans ce rapport de thèse, j'adresse la question suivante : « Peut-­on permettre à des utilisateurs non­-experts de créer leur propre visualisation et de contribuer à l'analyse de flux de données ? »La première étape pour répondre à cette question est d'évaluer si des personnes non formées à la visualisation d'informations ou aux « data sciences » peuvent effectuer des tâches d'analyse de données dynamiques utiles, en utilisant un système de visualisation adapté pour supporter cette tâche. Dans la première partie de cette dissertation, je présente différents scénarios et systèmes, qui permettent à des utilisateurs non­-experts (de 20 à 300 ou 2000 à 700 000 personnes) d'utiliser la visualisation d'informations pour analyser des données dynamiques.Un autre problème important est le manque de principes génériques de design pour l'encodage visuel de visualisations d'informations dynamiques. Dans cette dissertation, je conçois, définis, et explore un espace de design pour représenter des donnés dynamiques pour des utilisateurs non­-experts. Cette espace de design est structuré par des jetons graphiques représentant des éléments de données qui permettent de construire dans le temps différentes visualisations, tant classiques que nouvelles.Dans cette thèse, je propose un nouveau paradigme de conception (design) pour faciliter la réalisation de visualisation d'informations par les utilisateurs non­-experts. Ce paradigme est inspiré par des théories établies en psychologie du développement, tout autant que par des pratiques passées et présentes de création de visualisation à partir d'objets tangibles. Je décris tout d'abord les composants et processus de bases qui structurent ce paradigme. Ensuite, j'utiliserai cette description pour étudier *si et comment* des utilisateur non­-experts sont capables de créer, discuter, et mettre à jour leurs propres visualisations. Cette étude nous permettra de réviser notre modèle précédent et de fournir une première exploration des phénomènes relatifs à la création d'encodages visuels par des utilisateurs non­-experts sans logiciel. En résumé, cette thèse contribue à la compréhension des visualisations dynamiques pour des utilisateurs non­-experts.

During the past two decades, information visualisation (InfoVis) research has created new techniques and methods to support data- intensive analyses in science, industry and government. These have enabled a wide range of analyses tasks to be executed, with tasks varying in terms of the type and volume of data involved. However, the majority of this research has focused on static datasets, and the analysis and visualisation tasks tend to be carried out by trained expert users. In more recent years, social changes and technological advances have meant that data have become more and more dynamic, and are consumed by a wider audience. Examples of such dynamic data streams include e-mails, status updates, RSS 1 feeds, versioning systems, social networks and others. These new types of data are used by populations that are not specifically trained in information visualization. Some of these people might consist of casual users, while others might consist of people deeply involved with the data, but in both cases, they would not have received formal training in information visualization. For simplicity, throughout this dissertation, I refer to the people (casual users, novices, data experts) who have not been trained in information visualisation as non-experts.These social and technological changes have given rise to multiple challenges because most existing visualisation models and techniques are intended for experts, and assume static datasets. Few studies have been conducted that explore these challenges. In this dissertation, with my collaborators, I address the question: Can we empower non-experts in their use of visualisation by enabling them to contribute to data stream analysis as well as to create their own visualizations?The first step to answering this question is to determine whether people who are not trained in information visualisation and the data sciences can conduct useful dynamic analysis tasks using a visualisation system that is adapted to support their tasks. In the first part of this dissertation ...

During the past two decades, information visualisation (InfoVis) research has created new techniques and methods to support data- intensive analyses in science, industry and government. These have enabled a wide range of analyses tasks to be executed, with tasks varying in terms of the type and volume of data involved. However, the majority of this research has focused on static datasets, and the analysis and visualisation tasks tend to be carried out by trained expert users. In more recent years, social changes and technological advances have meant that data have become more and more dynamic, and are consumed by a wider audience. Examples of such dynamic data streams include e-mails, status updates, RSS 1 feeds, versioning systems, social networks and others. These new types of data are used by populations that are not specifically trained in information visualization. Some of these people might consist of casual users, while others might consist of people deeply involved with the data, but in both cases, they would not have received formal training in information visualization. For simplicity, throughout this dissertation, I refer to the people (casual users, novices, data experts) who have not been trained in information visualisation as non-experts.These social and technological changes have given rise to multiple challenges because most existing visualisation models and techniques are intended for experts, and assume static datasets. Few studies have been conducted that explore these challenges. In this dissertation, with my collaborators, I address the question: Can we empower non-experts in their use of visualisation by enabling them to contribute to data stream analysis as well as to create their own visualizations?The first step to answering this question is to determine whether people who are not trained in information visualisation and the data sciences can conduct useful dynamic analysis tasks using a visualisation system that is adapted to support their tasks. In the first part of this dissertation ...