Abstract

Risk communication is essential for shaping public understanding and encouraging action in response to hazards. We investigate the potential of embodied humanlike social agents as a novel visualisation interface for risk communication, given their potential to communicate emotion and visually convey risk information. We first conducted a design workshop with 9 experts to identify challenges, opportunities, and design strategies for using an agent's face as a visualisation canvas. We then conducted a lab study with 28 participants to assess the effectiveness of this interface to visualise the consequences of health risks. Our findings reveal that it facilitates data comprehension, heightens risk perception, elicits empathy, and motivates behavioural change by making the risk relatable and emotionally resonant. We discuss the potential of using these interfaces for risk communication in public spaces, health campaigns, education, and beyond. We provide takeaways and future directions for a novel pathway of human-centered risk communication.