Fluid interaction for information visualization

Abstract

Despite typically receiving little emphasis in visualization research, interaction in visualization is the catalyst for the user's dialogue with the data, and, ultimately, the user's actual understanding and insight into this data. There are many possible reasons for this skewed balance between the visual and interactive aspects of a visualization. One reason is that interaction is an intangible concept that is difficult to design, quantify, and evaluate. Unlike for visual design, there are few examples that show visualization practitioners and researchers how to best design the interaction for a new visualization. In this paper, we attempt to address this issue by collecting examples of visualizations with "best-in-class" interaction and using them to extract practical design guidelines for future designers and researchers. We call this concept fluid interaction, and we propose a operational definition in terms of the direct manipulation and embodied interaction paradigms, the psychological concept of "flow", and Norman's gulfs of execution and evaluation.

Crowdsourcing for Information Visualization: Promises and Pitfalls

“…One of the most well-known models for understanding and measuring enjoyment in psychology is the flow model of Csikszentmihalyi [34]. Elmqvist et al [37] define fluid interaction in the context of information visualization. In a recent study, Haroz et al [47] assessed user engagement with ISOTYPES by measuring the total amount of time participants spent looking at different visualizations.…”

Designing an exploratory visual interface to the results of citizen surveys

“…These are exemplified in Dörk et al (2010) and Dörk et al (2012). Elmqvist et al (2011) consider fluid interfaces to be smooth, responsive, interactive and well-designed from the user's perspective. They hypothesise that these characteristics help make the use of exploratory interfaces that exhibit them efficient, illuminating and enjoyable.…”

“…We aimed for greater fluidity than is typical in commercial GIS or the geographically focussed existing solutions that we had used. Elmqvist et al (2011) propose design guidelines that help achieve this aim and informed the development of interactions in our design:…”

Semantic Interaction for Sensemaking: Inferring Analytical Reasoning for Model Steering

“…They propose that it is the responsibility of designers to offer interactions that thus focus on the task (and the data), rather than on the tool, as a means for keeping users in their cognitive zone. Similarly, Elmqvist et al presented the concept of "fluid interaction" as a way to maintain the "flow" of the analytic process [24]. They claim that interactions should be designed so as to adhere to the inherent flow of each individual's analysis.…”