The recent emphasis on sustainability has made consumers more aware of their responsibility for saving resources, in particular, electricity. Consumers can better understand how to save electricity by gaining awareness of their consumption beyond the typical monthly bill. We conducted a study to understand consumers' awareness of energy consumption in the home and to determine their requirements for an interactive, always-on interface for exploring data to gain awareness of home energy consumption. In this paper, we describe a three-stage approach to supporting electricity conservation routines: raise awareness, inform complex changes, and maintain sustainable routines. We then present the findings from our study to support design implications for energy consumption feedback interfaces.

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Modern web technologies are enabling authors to create various forms of text visualization integration for storytelling. This integration may shape the stories' flow and thereby affect the reading experience. In this paper, we seek to understand two text visualization integration forms: (i) different text and visualization spatial arrangements (layout), namely, vertical and slideshow; and (ii) interactive linking of text and visualization (linking). Here, linking refers to a bidirectional interaction mode that explicitly highlights the explanatory visualization element when selecting narrative text and vice versa. Through a crowdsourced study with 180 participants, we measured the effect of layout and linking on the degree to which users engage with the story (user engagement), their understanding of the story content (comprehension), and their ability to recall the story information (recall). We found that participants performed significantly better in comprehension tasks with the slideshow layout. Participant recall was better with the slideshow layout under conditions with linking versus no linking. We also found that linking significantly increased user engagement. Additionally, linking and the slideshow layout were preferred by the participants. We also explored user reading behaviors with different conditions.

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Exploring large network datasets, such as scientific collaboration networks, is challenging because they often contain a large number of nodes and edges in several types and with multiple attributes. Analyses of such networks are often long and complex, and may require several sessions by multiple users. Therefore, it is often difficult for users to recall their own exploration history or share it with others. We introduce GraphTrail, an interactive visualization for analyzing networks through exploration of node and edge aggregates that captures users' interactions and integrates this history directly in the exploration workspace. To facilitate large network analysis, GraphTrail integrates aggregation with familiar charts, drag-and-drop interaction on a canvas, and a novel pivoting mechanism for transitioning between aggregates. Through a three-month field study with a team of archeologists and a qualitative lab study with ten users, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our design and the benefits of integrated exploration history, including analysis comprehension, insight discovery, and exploration recall.