Generating seizure-inducing sequences with interactive visualizations

A screengrab of an interactive data visualization is shown. The visualization is a map of France where color indicates the most common form of accomodation present in a given location. The majority of the map is bright red, except for a handful of spots that are other colors, such as blue, purple, and yellow.
An interactive visualization with highly saturated colors, such as this bright red map of France, can inadvertantly cause seizures when used by individuals with photosensitive epilepsy.
Abstract
Interactive visualizations are often built to draw the eye towards pertinent information with attention-grabbing pops of color and patterns. These techniques, though helpful in engaging the average user and nudging them towards important information, can be harmful to users with photosensitive epilepsy, who may experience seizures when exposed to content with flashes, transitions to and from saturated red, or repeated patterns. In this paper, we explore three case studies of interactive visualizations created without malicious intent yet capable of producing seizure-inducing sequences through interaction alone. Based on these case studies as well as relevant related literature, we contribute a set of simple recommendations to help visualization designers and developers avoid accidentally creating interactive visualizations with the potential to cause seizures.
Materials
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Authors
Citation
Thumbnail image for publication titled: Generating seizure-inducing sequences with interactive visualizations
Generating seizure-inducing sequences with interactive visualizations

Laura South and Michelle A. Borkin. Poster at InfoVis: IEEE Information Visualization—VIS Posters. 2020. DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/85gwy

PDF | Preprint | DOI | Supplement | BibTeX | VIS 2020 Best Poster Honorable Mention!


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