Towards a smooth design process for static communicative node-link diagrams

• Published in: Computer graphics forum Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 461 - 470
• Main Authors: Spritzer, Andre Suslik, Boy, Jeremy, Dragicevic, Pierre, Fekete, Jean-Daniel, Dal Sasso Freitas, Carla Maria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2015; Wiley
• Series: EuroVis 2015 - Conference Proceedings
• Subjects: Analysis; Breaking down; Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS); Computer programs; Computer Science; Flexibility; Graph theory; H.5.2 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: User Interfaces-Graphical user interfaces (GUI); Human-Computer Interaction; Image processing systems; Information; Messages; Studies; Visual; Visualization; Workflow
• ISSN: 0167-7055; 1467-8659
• DOI: 10.1111/cgf.12658

Node‐link infographics are visually very rich and can communicate messages effectively, but can be very difficult to create, often involving a painstaking and artisanal process. In this paper we present an investigation of node‐link visualizations for communication and how to better support their creation. We begin by breaking down these images into their basic elements and analyzing how they are created. We then present a set of techniques aimed at improving the creation workflow by bringing more flexibility and power to users, letting them manipulate all aspects of a node‐link diagram (layout, visual attributes, etc.) while taking into account the context in which it will appear. These techniques were implemented in a proof‐of‐concept prototype called GraphCoiffure, which was designed as an intermediary step between graph drawing/editing software and image authoring applications. We describe how GraphCoiffure improves the workflow and illustrate its benefits through practical examples.