Invited talk given to the ITC Twente VISresearch Group in Enschede, the Netherlands | October 18th, 2017. Abstract: A taxonomy is a classification of discrete states or conditions for an empirically observable phenomenon. Taxonomies are a common intellectual product of research on interactive cartography and visualization, used to articulate, evaluate, and critique the available “design space” for various visual decisions. However, taxonomies perhaps are too common in the literature today, making it difficult for both designers and researchers to choose an appropriate taxonomy for a given problem, much less to get a sense of how all taxonomies relate (or do not relate) to one another. In this presentation, I weigh the advantages and limitations of taxonomies for visual design and research, outlining the purpose of general taxonomies versus problem-oriented requirements. I then compare and contrast taxonomies used in representation design versus interaction design, such as Norman’s stages of interaction, Bertin’s visual variables with extensions from MacEachren, and my own composite taxonomy of interaction primitives. I conclude with open discussion through several interactive mapping and visualization examples by way of exploring my ad hoc “taxonomy of taxonomies”.
