On the benefits and drawbacks of radial diagrams

Abstract

Visualizations based on circular shapes are oftentimes referred to as radial representations in the literature. Radial diagrams have recently gained increasing popularity in many application domains. One reason for this popularity is the aesthetic look of those diagrams. However, there are advantages for corresponding Cartesian (rectangular) representations as well, including possible perceptual benefits, more efficient use of rectangular screen space, or ease of implementation due to simpler graphical primitives. We describe several examples of visualizations that exist in Cartesian or radial form, and we discuss their respective benefits and drawbacks. We focus on the evaluation of those diagrams by comparative user studies. In particular, we consider how quantitative and qualitative evaluations, including eye tracking, can be employed to analyze which of the two visual mapping approaches is more suitable for given datasets and tasks.