Dynamic Communication of Weather Risk: A User-Centered Design Approach

This project is aimed at effective visual communication of forecast risk and uncertainty, with a primary goal of establishing a translatable process for NOAA to harness public feedback to rethink and redesign weather risk graphics, and evaluate new visualizations. The appropriate amount of information on a graphic that can be cognitively processed by forecast users will be examined, as will the question of whether the communication of “expected” versus “reasonable worst case” impacts is more effective. Online behavioral experiments and interviews will develop lessons learned, which will be combined with new ideation and participatory design sessions to develop visualizations for multiple hazards from non-tropical events, evaluated via in-person eye-tracking experiments. Primary deliverables include: improved visual communications of risk and uncertainty, and new user-centered design guidelines for wider NOAA applications. The intended long-term benefit to society is an improved ability for the public to make decisions ahead of approaching weather events with multiple hazards, via graphical products that are easy to use and understand. Award amount: $496,965.00 $394,602.00 NA21OAR4590205 $102,363.00 NA21OAR4590206 Grant no. NA21OAR4590205 Grant no. NA21OAR4590206