What does the user want to see? What do the data want to be?

Information visualization is a user-centered design discipline. In this article we argue, however, that designing information visualization techniques often requires more than designing for user requirements. Additionally, the data that are to be visualized must also be carefully considered. An approach based on both the user and their data is encapsulated by two questions, which we argue information visualization designers should continually ask themselves: ‘What does the user want to see?’ and ‘What do the data want to be?’ As we show by presenting cases, these two points of departure are mutually reinforcing. By focusing on the data, new insight is gained into the requirements of the user, and vice versa, resulting in more effective visualization techniques.