Studies and design considerations for animated transitions between small-scale visualizations

Abstract

Small-scale visualizations can augment text, show information on mobile devices, or geographical information on a map. In such situations, there is often not enough space to show complex data with approaches like juxtaposed visualizations. To alleviate this issue, we propose the use of animated transitions between several small-scale visualizations. We discuss design considerations for animated transitions between small-scale visualizations and differences to normal-sized visualizations. Further, we present the results of two online studies on the effectiveness of those animated transitions to convey information and attribute relations, as well as the mental load of following the animated transitions. As a result, we found that animated transitions between visualizations are understandable in small scale, but performance depends on the specific task and the type of operation carried out with the animated transition.