Transient visualizations
Mikkel Rønne Jakobsen, Kasper Hornæk · 2007
Information visualizations often make permanent changes to the user interface with the aim of supporting specific tasks. However, a permanent visualization cannot support the variety of tasks found in realistic work settings equally well. We explore interaction techniques that transiently visualize information near the user's focus of attention. Transient visualizations support specific contexts of use without permanently changing the user interface, and aim to seamlessly integrate with existing tools and to decrease distraction. Examples of transient visualizations for document search, map zoom-outs, fisheye views of source code, and thesaurus access are presented. We provide an initial validation of transient visualizations by comparing a transient overview for maps to a permanent visualization. Among 20 users of these visualizations, all but four preferred the transient visualization. However, differences in time and error rates were insignificant. On this background, we discuss the potential of transient visualizations and future directions.