Exploring interaction design for advanced analytics and simulation

Abstract

Enterprise businesses are increasingly using analytics and simulation for improved decision making with diverse and large quantities of data. However, new challenges arise in understanding how to design and implement a user interaction paradigm that is appropriate for technical experts, business users, and other stakeholders. Technologies developed for sophisticated analyses pose a challenge for interaction and interface design research when the goal is to accommodate users with different types and levels of expertise. In this paper we discuss the results of a multi-phase research effort to explore expectations for interaction and user experience with a complex technology that is meant to provide scientists and business analysts with expert-level capability for advanced analytics and simulation. We find that while there are unique differences in software preferences of scientists and analysts, that a common interface is feasible for universal usability of these two user groups. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.