Memes can allow creators to add a sense of emotionality or interpretation to a visualization, such as a graph.

Meme Information Visualization: Providing an Interpretation/Emotion

Memes create simple and clear categories in order to convey information.

Meme Information Visualization: Clear Indicator

Memes are often created to visualize information that is currently discussed.

Meme Information Visualization: Time-Dependent Visualizations

Memes can be centered around the visualization of puns in the form of diagrams in order to convey slight differences.

Meme Information Visualization: Creation of Visual Puns

Memes can evoke a sense of physical distance or embodiment, which is not a common visualization for data.

Meme Information Visualization: Physical Representation of Data

Memes can recontextualize data visualizations from original scientific research or create intentionally misinformed visualizations for the purposes of humor.

Meme Information Visualization: Recontextualization of Data Visualizations

- Providing an interpretation/emotion
- Clear indicator
- Time-dependent visualizations
- Creation of visual puns
- Physical representation of data
- Recontextualization of data visualizations

Davidson College

Research has investigated memes created by young people as a method of examining information/data visualization during the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, memes are a way through which information can be shared, communicate ideas, and allow for public conversation. 

Memes and the Visualization of Information

Perovich, L. J., Alper, M., & Cleveland, C. (2022). "Self-Quaranteens" Process COVID-19: Understanding Information Visualization Language in Memes. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(CSCW1), 1-20.

"Self-Quaranteens" Process COVID-19: Understanding Information Visualization Language in Memes

Themes Arising from COVID-19 Meme Information Visualization

Research has investigated memes as information visualizations in different cultural setting. For instance, researchers have compared COVID-19 memes in Chinese and English.

Cross-Cultural Themes Arising from COVID-19 Memes (Chinese and English)

Memes have been used, as research suggests, during and slightly before the pandemic to share information and sentiments of different groups. For example, Gen Xers have expressed that other generations may not be taking measures seriously. Similarly, users have expressed dissatisfaction with work expectations during the pandemic.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After