Representation

Representations are tools for thought that make it possible to handle problems that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. A familiar example is using written numbers to perform calculations that people could not handle via mental arithmetic.

We use a range of representations. Although most of the ones we have worked with are visual, we’ve also examined forms of systematic representation across a range of senses.

The example below shows a representation that we often use. It shows liking and disliking as two separate scales, making it easy to establish whether something evokes strong mixed feelings (top right corner) or indifference (bottom left) etc. This plot shows feedback from users on an early version of a software design.