A User-centered approach for optimizing information visualizations

Abstract

The optimization of information visualizations is time consuming and expensive. To reduce this we propose an improvement of existing optimization approaches based on user-centered design, focusing on readability, comprehensibility, and user satisfaction as optimization goals. The changes comprise (1) a separate optimization of user interface and representation, (2) a fully automated evaluation of the representation, and (3) qualitative user studies for simultaneously creating and evaluating interface variants. On the basis of these results we are able to find a local optimum of an information visualization in an efficient way.