The Aesthetics of Graph Visualization

Bennett, Chris; Ryall, Jody; Spalteholz, Leo; Gooch, Amy

The Aesthetics of Graph Visualization

Files

057-064.pdf (224.11 KB)

Date

2007

Authors

Bennett, Chris
Ryall, Jody
Spalteholz, Leo
Gooch, Amy

Publisher

The Eurographics Association

Abstract

The discipline of graph visualization produces pictorial representations of node link structures. Much effort has been directed toward making such diagrams visually pleasing. A variety of aesthetic heuristics have been proposed, with the assumption that these will improve readability and understanding. We look at a perceptual basis for these heuristics, including Gestalt principles and Norman s emotional design framework. Next, we review the work to date on aesthetic heuristics and examine what has been done to evaluate these heuristics. We summarize this in a framework that outlines graph drawing heuristics, their perceptual basis, and evaluation status.

        @inproceedings{:10.2312/COMPAESTH/COMPAESTH07/057-064
,
booktitle = {Computational Aesthetics in Graphics, Visualization, and Imaging
},
editor = {Douglas W. Cunningham and Gary Meyer and Laszlo Neumann
},
title = {{The Aesthetics of Graph Visualization
}},
author = {Bennett, Chris and 
Ryall, Jody and 
Spalteholz, Leo and 
Gooch, Amy
},
year = {2007
},
publisher = {The Eurographics Association
},
ISSN = {1816-0859
},
ISBN = {978-3-905673-43-2
},
DOI = {/10.2312/COMPAESTH/COMPAESTH07/057-064
}
}