  In the face of complex decisions, people often engage in a three-stage
process that spans from (1) exploring and analyzing pertinent information
(intelligence); (2) generating and exploring alternative options (design); and
ultimately culminating in (3) selecting the optimal decision by evaluating
discerning criteria (choice). We can fairly assume that all good visualizations
aid in the intelligence stage by enabling data exploration and analysis. Yet,
to what degree and how do visualization systems currently support the other
decision making stages, namely design and choice? To explore this question, we
conducted a comprehensive review of decision-focused visualization tools by
examining publications in major visualization journals and conferences,
including VIS, EuroVis, and CHI, spanning all available years. We employed a
deductive coding method and in-depth analysis to assess if and how
visualization tools support design and choice. Specifically, we examined each
visualization tool by (i) its degree of visibility for displaying decision
alternatives, criteria, and preferences, and (ii) its degree of flexibility for
offering means to manipulate the decision alternatives, criteria, and
preferences with interactions such as adding, modifying, changing mapping, and
filtering. Our review highlights the opportunities and challenges and reveals a
surprising scarcity of tools that support all stages, and while most tools
excel in offering visibility for decision criteria and alternatives, the degree
of flexibility to manipulate these elements is often limited, and the lack of
tools that accommodate decision preferences and their elicitation is notable.
Future research could explore enhancing flexibility levels and variety,
exploring novel visualization paradigms, increasing algorithmic support, and
ensuring that this automation is user-controlled via the enhanced flexibility
levels.
