Although data visualization has long been associated with objectivity and neutrality, we are reckoning with the impact of design choices on how data is not only understood, but also how it is felt. In particular, visualizations used in high-stakes public advocacy contexts (e.g., climate change, public health, social-civic issues, and science communication) are often designed to emotionally engage as well as to inform. Designers must strike a balance between these goals, as they often also shape attitudes and behavioural intentions. 

Affective visualization research elucidates the role of emotions, individual characteristics, and sociocultural contexts in how information is processed and acted upon. The rhetorical nature of visualization design and subjective audience experience requires us to examine ethical questions that go beyond merely avoiding the design of misleading visualizations; we must also consider how the data visualization pipeline, from data collection and processing to design and dissemination, carry emotional weight and influence trust and receptivity amongst diverse audiences. 

If visualizations are meant to engage and inform public audiences, what does responsible engagement actually look like? 

When is it appropriate or not to design for emotion in visualization, and to what end? 

What responsibility do visualization designers and media platforms have when visualizations circulate through our complex media ecosystem to influence public discourse? 

This panel will draw the visualization community into discussion about how we should account for, and can more effectively measure, the impact of emotional techniques applied in visualizations for public communication, with the aim of guiding us toward responsible practices.