The role of Depth and Gestalt cues in information-rich virtual environments

Managing the layout of multi-dimensional visualizations is a crucial concern for the development of effective visual analytic interfaces. In these environments, heterogeneous and multi-dimensional information must be structured and combined into data representations that demand low cognitive resources but yield accurate mental models and insights. In this paper, we use Information-Rich Virtual Environments (IRVE) to articulate crucial tradeoffs in the use of Depth and Gestalt cues in text label layouts. We present a design space and evaluation methodology to explore the usability effects of these tradeoffs and collect results from a series of user studies. These lessons are posed as a set of design guidelines to aid developers of new, advantageous interfaces and specifications.

Research Highlights►We evaluate layouts for labels in information-rich virtual environments. ►Label layouts are classified by their configuration of depth and gestalt cues. ►A task taxonomy is employed to test user's integration of different information types. ►Users leverage different perceptual cues depending on the task type and the display size.