skip to Main Content
design lab amy fox gordon research grant

Design Lab’s Amy Fox Awarded Gordon Research Conference Visionary Grant

Design Lab’s Amy Fox Awarded Gordon Research Conference Visionary Grant

Design Lab’s Amy Fox Awarded Gordon Research Conference Visionary Grant

Emerging developments in data visualization, the practice of visually communicating data to convey patterns and trends, transcend a variety of fields including health, business, design, science, and education. With competing definitions and applications across multiple disciplines, the question quickly becomes: how do such diverse communities establish a common ground to allow for shared communication and understanding?

Amy Fox, a third year doctoral student in Cognitive Science and member of the UC San Diego Design Lab, is currently working to close that gap. She was recently awarded a visionary grant from the Gordon Research Conference on Visualization in Science and Education (VSE) for a project proposal she worked on in collaboration with Paul Parsons, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University. The Gordon Research Conference on VSE is an annual, multi-day conference that unites researchers, designers, educators, and communicators from a wide range of disciplines to share best practices and new innovations within the visualization space.

The proposal, titled “Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Transdisciplinary Potential in Visualization,” addresses a lack of shared communication across disciplines that use visualization techniques, due to misalignments in language, methods, and frameworks. Fox’s project focuses on fostering collective learning across traditionally siloed communities through breaking the barriers of communication. Transdisciplinary discussions throughout the conference provided a platform for Fox and Parsons to recognize that individuals from various backgrounds, including marine biology, museum education, and public broadcasting, share a deep appreciation for the role that visualization plays within their work, yet hold unique interpretations and applications of certain concepts. For example, Fox noted that the term “assessment” in visualization translates into a spectrum of different priorities and goals in various contexts.

Fox and Parsons aim to take the first step in creating a “community of practice” through identifying key frames of reference to set a road map for bringing these diverse communities together. The proposal calls for a comprehensive catalog of key terminology within visualization literature, an identification and integrative review of influential theories, and a systematic mapping of conceptual models across disciplines. The overarching vision for the project is to share and leverage the enthusiasm and expertise across disciplines through successfully navigating different visualization communities.

“Visualization is a rich and exciting field,” says Fox. “But to be most effective, researchers need to understand the broader landscape of practice so we can speak a shared language.” Fox and Parsons anticipate using the funds to begin exploring existing structures within visualization and conducting ethnographic studies to inform and provide insight into their research. Through examining current visualization practices with a transdisciplinary lens, Fox is looking forward to interacting with a multitude of vibrant communities who understand the value of visualization and hopes that this grant will serve as a springboard for future grant proposals.

Emerging developments in data visualization, the practice of visually communicating data to convey patterns and trends, transcend a variety of fields including health, business, design, science, and education. With competing definitions and applications across multiple disciplines, the question quickly becomes: how do such diverse communities establish a common ground to allow for shared communication and understanding?

Amy Fox, a third year doctoral student in Cognitive Science and member of the UC San Diego Design Lab, is currently working to close that gap. She was recently awarded a visionary grant from the Gordon Research Conference on Visualization in Science and Education (VSE) for a project proposal she worked on in collaboration with Paul Parsons, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University. The Gordon Research Conference on VSE is an annual, multi-day conference that unites researchers, designers, educators, and communicators from a wide range of disciplines to share best practices and new innovations within the visualization space.

The proposal, titled “Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Transdisciplinary Potential in Visualization,” addresses a lack of shared communication across disciplines that use visualization techniques, due to misalignments in language, methods, and frameworks. Fox’s project focuses on fostering collective learning across traditionally siloed communities through breaking the barriers of communication. Transdisciplinary discussions throughout the conference provided a platform for Fox and Parsons to recognize that individuals from various backgrounds, including marine biology, museum education, and public broadcasting, share a deep appreciation for the role that visualization plays within their work, yet hold unique interpretations and applications of certain concepts. For example, Fox noted that the term “assessment” in visualization translates into a spectrum of different priorities and goals in various contexts.

Fox and Parsons aim to take the first step in creating a “community of practice” through identifying key frames of reference to set a road map for bringing these diverse communities together. The proposal calls for a comprehensive catalog of key terminology within visualization literature, an identification and integrative review of influential theories, and a systematic mapping of conceptual models across disciplines. The overarching vision for the project is to share and leverage the enthusiasm and expertise across disciplines through successfully navigating different visualization communities.

“Visualization is a rich and exciting field,” says Fox. “But to be most effective, researchers need to understand the broader landscape of practice so we can speak a shared language.” Fox and Parsons anticipate using the funds to begin exploring existing structures within visualization and conducting ethnographic studies to inform and provide insight into their research. Through examining current visualization practices with a transdisciplinary lens, Fox is looking forward to interacting with a multitude of vibrant communities who understand the value of visualization and hopes that this grant will serve as a springboard for future grant proposals.

Emerging developments in data visualization, the practice of visually communicating data to convey patterns and trends, transcend a variety of fields including health, business, design, science, and education. With competing definitions and applications across multiple disciplines, the question quickly becomes: how do such diverse communities establish a common ground to allow for shared communication and understanding?

Amy Fox, a third year doctoral student in Cognitive Science and member of the UC San Diego Design Lab, is currently working to close that gap. She was recently awarded a visionary grant from the Gordon Research Conference on Visualization in Science and Education (VSE) for a project proposal she worked on in collaboration with Paul Parsons, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Graphics Technology at Purdue University. The Gordon Research Conference on VSE is an annual, multi-day conference that unites researchers, designers, educators, and communicators from a wide range of disciplines to share best practices and new innovations within the visualization space.

The proposal, titled “Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Transdisciplinary Potential in Visualization,” addresses a lack of shared communication across disciplines that use visualization techniques, due to misalignments in language, methods, and frameworks. Fox’s project focuses on fostering collective learning across traditionally siloed communities through breaking the barriers of communication. Transdisciplinary discussions throughout the conference provided a platform for Fox and Parsons to recognize that individuals from various backgrounds, including marine biology, museum education, and public broadcasting, share a deep appreciation for the role that visualization plays within their work, yet hold unique interpretations and applications of certain concepts. For example, Fox noted that the term “assessment” in visualization translates into a spectrum of different priorities and goals in various contexts.

Fox and Parsons aim to take the first step in creating a “community of practice” through identifying key frames of reference to set a road map for bringing these diverse communities together. The proposal calls for a comprehensive catalog of key terminology within visualization literature, an identification and integrative review of influential theories, and a systematic mapping of conceptual models across disciplines. The overarching vision for the project is to share and leverage the enthusiasm and expertise across disciplines through successfully navigating different visualization communities.

“Visualization is a rich and exciting field,” says Fox. “But to be most effective, researchers need to understand the broader landscape of practice so we can speak a shared language.” Fox and Parsons anticipate using the funds to begin exploring existing structures within visualization and conducting ethnographic studies to inform and provide insight into their research. Through examining current visualization practices with a transdisciplinary lens, Fox is looking forward to interacting with a multitude of vibrant communities who understand the value of visualization and hopes that this grant will serve as a springboard for future grant proposals.

Read Next

Design Lab’s Edward Wang Wins NIH R21 For Work On Smartphone-based Alzheimer’s Screening

Design Lab’s Edward Wang wins NIH R21 for work on Smartphone-based Alzheimer’s Screening

Design Lab’s Edward Wang, who is a jointly appointed professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering in Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, wins a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R21 through the National Institute of Aging (NIA) for his work around transforming smartphones into pocket-sized personal health monitors. 

The NIA has selected Design Lab’s Edward Wang, who directs the Digital Health Lab, to receive NIH R21 funding for his work with Co-investigator Eric Granholm, Director of UCSD’s Center for Mental Health Technology (MHTech), to develop a smartphone app that can screen for early signs of cognitive decline indicative of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). An NIH R21, also known as the Exploratory/Development Grant, provides support in the early and conceptual stages of a project’s development. As part of a national push towards combating the debilitating effects of AD, the National Institute of Aging looked towards funding novel ways to screen for AD through the use of digital technologies. 

Opinion: The World Design Capital is more than an award. It’s a chance to solve problems.

San Diego Union Tribune Op-Ed by Tad Parzen and Eddie Matthews*
*Eddie Matthews is also a Designer-in-Residence with the UCSD Design Lab


Design and discovery are in our San Diego-Tijuana region’s DNA. We are risk-takers, a nimble community that has long fostered life-changing design and innovation to improve the world, save lives and sustain critical resources. San Diego-Tijuana has long been the epicenter of a binational design revolution.

In this inclusive spirit, a cross-border community of designers, activists and community leaders have joined together to submit the first binational bid to the World Design Organization to name San Diego-Tijuana the World Design Capital in 2024. This designation recognizes cities for their effective use of design to drive economic, social, cultural and environmental development, and showcases best practices in sustainable, human-centered policy and innovation.

Every member of this region has something to contribute and the World Design Capital will be the centralized place for these binational design contributions, making the border immaterial by making design visible.
Design Lab Ucsd Design At Business Summit Amsterdam

Exploring Design at Business in Amsterdam

Design Lab Associate Director Michèle Morris, and members Nanna Inie, and Jennifer Taylor recently attended…

How They Got There: Janet Johnson

Graduate student Janet Johnson is currently working towards her doctorate degree in Computer Science, while also conducting HCI research in the UCSD Design Lab, primarily focusing on XR (extended reality).

So, what is Johnson’s research?  Johnson conducts HCI research, primarily focusing on XR. As Johnson describes it, “XR is an umbrella term for augmented reality, augmented virtuality, mixed reality, and virtual reality.” She says to think of it as a spectrum where one end is the real world alone, the other is complete virtual reality, and everything in between is varying mixes of the two. Johnson’s research primarily focuses on this mixed middle ground. “The majority of my research focuses on how we can use mixed reality or extended reality to help a novice…get help from an expert.” She then poses the example of both surgery and CPR. Johnson’s research explores ways for an expert to provide instructions to the novice as if though they were in the same room. Her goal is to help bridge the distance between novices and experts, both physically and skill wise, while also decreasing the amount of time a person receives aid. “By the time a medical personnel arrives at the scene, it’s already been 7 to 10 minutes, so each minute counts for the person’s life,” she explains. “You don’t have time in that 10 minutes to train the people around to be able to do CPR or any other sort of resuscitation, same with surgery.” 

As Johnson continues to conduct her research in this field, she’s excited for what the future holds for this technology and the ways she can contribute to it.  
Design Lab Ailie Fraser Adobe Fellow

Adobe Selects Design Lab Student Ailie Fraser as a 2017 Adobe Fellow

UC San Diego Design Lab PhD Student Ailie Fraser has been selected as a 2017…

Don Norman

Design a Better World, with Don Norman

UX Cake kicks the season off with a fascinating conversation about changing the world with design, with Don Norman.

"There are really creative people in all these communities. And there aren’t enough experts to go around anyway. What we want to do is go around the world and find these people and facilitate, help them, empower them, give them expert knowledge and allow them to decide how to apply that to their problems." - Don Norman
Back To Top