Steven Franconeri

Steven Franconeri is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Northwestern University, leading the Visual Thinking Laboratory. His research focuses on visual thinking and communication, investigating how leveraging the human visual system can improve data understanding, memory, and decision-making in fields like science, education, and industry.

Recent publications highlight his work on perceptual biases in data visualization (e.g., average estimation in line graphs, aspect ratio effects), design principles for mitigating cognitive errors (e.g., V-FRAMER framework), and the interplay between attention, memory, and visual communication. Key themes include visual working memory limits, grouping cues in bar charts, and dynamic visualization challenges.