Measuring aesthetics for information visualization

Abstract

Aesthetics is an unsolved problem of information visualization, because there is no satisfactory understanding of what constitutes aesthetic effect. This survey paper gives an overview of approaches to model aesthetics, starting with Birkhoff's aesthetic measure and continuing to recent ones based on mathematical and information theoretical concepts. Common concepts in the different models are highlighted, such as the effects of order and complexity. Further, practical techniques for generating aesthetic visualizations are shown together with examples of recent work in this field. Finally, the paper discusses some of the key issues regarding aesthetics and the human factor in the visualization process. Empirical studies have shown a correlation between perceived aesthetics and usability, meaning that a better understanding of aesthetics could improve the usability of visualizations. © 2009 IEEE.