Abstract:
We investigate the cognitive impact of various layout features-symmetry,
alignment, collinearity, axis alignment and orthogonality-on the recall of
network diagrams (graphs). This provides insight into how people internalize
these diagrams and what features should or shouldn't be utilised when
designing static and interactive network-based visualisations. Participants
were asked to study, remember, and draw a series of small network diagrams,
each drawn to emphasise a particular visual feature. The visual features were
based on existing theories of perception, and the task enabled visual
processing at the visceral level only. Our results strongly support the
importance of visual features such as symmetry, collinearity and
orthogonality, while not showing any significant impact for node-alignment or
parallel edges.