Graphs via Ink: Understanding How the Amount of Non-data Ink in a Graph Affects Perception and Learning
Julia Kulla-Mader · Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) · 2019
There is much debate in the design community concerning how to make an easy-to-understand graph. While expert designers recommend including as little non-data ink as possible, there is little empirical evidence to support their arguments. Non-data ink refers to any ink on a graph that is not required to display the graph's data. As a result of the lack of strong evidence concerning how to design graphs, there is widespread confusion when it comes to best practices. This paper describes a preliminary study of graph perception and learning using an eye-tracking system at UNC's School of Information and Library Science.