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Purpose: The authors present the results of an empirical study investigating strategies for localizing risk messaging pertaining to sea-level rise (SLR) and flooding. We argue that continued testing is necessary to help bolster arguments about the value of localization design practices and that technical communication as a field is positioned well to lead the charge in such testing. Method: The authors conducted a mixed methods research study to discover whether video stories from local residents change user perceptions or concern about SLR as a risk. More than 100 survey responses were collected to track any relation between concern and understanding and modality of storytelling, and focus groups were led with 13 survey respondents to add a deeper understanding of effective strategies for localization. Results: The data show that video and textual storytelling do not differ as much as expected in the context of decision-support tools for SLR. Conclusion: Although video narratives for localization did not affect user perception or concern about SLR more strongly than text quotes did, participants felt that the localization efforts were compelling. Participants suggested ways in which both video and textual narratives might be more effectively used to support audiences' understanding of SLR. As a result of their suggestions, we note future research topics and testing methods to explore risk localization best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the process and results of focus groups conducted as stakeholder engagement for a two‐year, marine extension agency‐sponsored interdisciplinary project in coastal Louisiana, USA. The project involved refining the topographic features (eg flood protection infrastructure) of a computational storm surge model using local knowledge of elevation data. Coastal Louisiana experiences continual changes to the built and natural environment and persistent land loss, necessitating frequent adjustments to real‐time storm surge and restoration planning models to make them more useful for decision‐makers. Stakeholder involvement ensured accurate updates to the real‐time computational system and accessible and understandable modelling results displayed by an interactive decision‐support tool. The findings provide insights and recommendations from various practitioners that are applicable to decision‐support model and tool development for coastal hazard emergency response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participating in user-centered design provides potential users of interactive risk visualization tools agency in influencing tool development. This article identifies and characterizes pathways for agency that users may experience as they participate in design of interactive tools for visualizing environmental risks. We present an empirically based conceptual framework for better understanding user agency during visualization tool development based on findings from interviews with professional visualization tool developers and discuss practical implications and future research recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive sea level rise viewers (ISLRVs) are map-based visualization tools that display projections of sea level rise scenarios to communicate their impacts on coastal areas. Information visualization research suggests that as users interact with such tools they construct personalized narratives of their experience. We argue that attention to narrative-building features in ISLRVs can improve communication effectiveness by promoting user engagement and discovery. A content analysis that focuses on the presence and characteristics of narrative-building features in a purposive sample of 20 ISLRVs is conducted. We also identify particular areas where these ISLRVs could be improved as narrative-building tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]