Designing for What is Usually Hidden - Visualization Techniques for Design of Autonomous Media Agents

Abstract: Autonomous Agents are usually designed to work in the background and their work is mostly hidden from the user. This causes both ethical and practical problems that can be remedied by providing feedback and control to the user (Bellotti and Sellen, 1993). This thesis presents an overview study exploreing advantages and disadvantages of four visualization techniques: colouring, pictographic symbols, metaphors, and affective computing, as they are employed in providing feedback and control regarding Autonomous Agents. The study is performed by evaluating an example project, with elements of Design Science. The thesis concludes that all techniques have both advantages and disadvantages regarding different aspects of their use.