Snap-together visualization: Evaluating coordination usage and construction

TitleSnap-together visualization: Evaluating coordination usage and construction
Publication TypeJournal Articles
Year of Publication2000
AuthorsNorth C, Shneiderman B
JournalInt'l Journal of Human-Computer Studies special issue on Empirical Studies of Information Visualization
Volume53
Pagination715 - 739
Date Published2000///
Abstract

Multiple coordinated visualizations enable users to rapidly explore complex information. However, users often need unforeseen combinations of coordinated visualizations. Snap-Together Visualization is a conceptual model, based on the relational model, and system to enable users to quickly coordinate otherwise-independent visualization tools. Users construct customized browsing environments with coordinations for selecting, navigating, and loading data, without programming.Evaluation revealed benefits, cognitive issues, and usability concerns with coordination concepts and the Snap system. Two user studies explore the value of coordination usage and the learnability of coordination construction. The overview and detail-view coordination improved user performance by 30-80%, depending on task. Data savvy users were very capable and thrilled to rapidly construct powerful coordinated visualizations.