Visit the Visualization Studies Research Studio website for most recent work: vsrs.ischool.uw.edu

Visualizations are the means by which many of us access data, strongly influencing mental models (and imaginaries) of the types of knowledge that can be gleaned from quantitative methods. Through my research, I use design inquiry and qualitative techniques to address a series of questions related to the creation and use of visual representations of data and information including:

Which data are we making visible, why, and for whom? What motivates these choices and what values are reflected in these decisions?
How are we making this data visible through visual representation practices? What are the mechanisms of visual encoding that enable us to surface certain things and obscure other things?
And what are the implications of these design choices, especially in terms of social interactions, collaboration and coordination?

Currently, I am an Assistant Professor in the Information School at the University of Washington, an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design and Engineering, and a Core Affiliate in the Data Science Studies Special Interest Group. My work has appeared in top human-computer interaction (HCI) and information science venues such as ACM Proceedings of CHI and CSCW; ACM TOCHI; The Journal of the Association of Information Science and Technology (JASIST); Computers in Human Behavior; and Human-Computer Interaction. My research has been funded by UW's Royalty Research Fund (RRF), Group Health Foundation, and a recently awarded five-year NSF CAREER grant.

Recent publications

Snyder, J., Murnane, E.L., Lustig, C., Voida, S (2019). Visually Encoding the Lived Experience of Bipolar Disorder. Proc ACM SIG-CHI. doi>10.1145/3290605.3300363
Snyder, J. and Shilton, K. (2019). Spanning the Boundaries of Data Visualization Work: An Exploration of Functional Affordances and Disciplinary Values. Proceedings of the iConference in Springer's Lecture Notes in Computer Science, College Park, MD.
Murnane, E., Walker, T., Tech, B., Voida, S., and Snyder, J. (2018). Personal Informatics in Interpersonal Contexts: Towards the Design of Technology that Supports the Social Ecologies of Long-Term Mental Health Management. Proc ACM CSCW. Best Paper Honorable Mention. Diversity and Inclusion Recognition. [ Acceptance rate 26%]
Baumer, E. P. S., Snyder, J. and Gay, G. (2018). Interpretive Impacts of Text Visualization: Mitigating Political Framing Effects. ACM Trans. Comput.-Hum. Interact (TOCHI). 25, 4: 20:1-20:26.
Zolyomi, A., Shulkas, A., Snyder, J. (2017). Technology-Mediated Sight: A Case Study of Early Adopters of a Low Vision Assistive Technology. Proc ACM ASSETS. Best Student Paper Award.
Snyder, J. (2017). Vernacular Visualization Practices in a Citizen Science Project. Proc ACM CSCW.