Which Aesthetic has the Greatest Effect on Human Understanding?
Which Aesthetic has the Greatest Effect on Human Understanding?
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DOI：
10.1007/3-540-63938-1_67
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发表时间：
1997-09
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影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
H. Purchase
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文献类型：
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作者：
H. Purchase
在图形绘制算法和系统的创建中，设计师声称通过生成优化某些美学品质的布局，图形更容易理解。这种美学包括最大化对称，最小化边缘交叉和最小化弯曲。先前的一项研究旨在通过基于纸张的实验来验证这些关于三种美学的说法。这里报告的研究在许多方面都是优越的：考虑了五种美学，尝试对美学的相对重要性进行优先排序，实验是在线运行的，并且及时测量了理解图纸的难易程度，以及错误的数量。此外，更多地考虑了图中混杂因素可能产生的影响。结果表明，到目前为止，减少边缘交叉的数量是最重要的美学，而最小化弯曲的数量和最大化对称的效果较小。最大化离开节点的边之间的最小角度以及将边和节点固定到正交网格的效果在统计上不显著。这项工作很重要，因为它有助于向算法和系统设计师展示帮助人类理解最重要的美学品质，当美学存在冲突时做出的最适当的妥协，以及如何构建更有效的系统。
In the creation of graph drawing algorithms and systems, designers claim that by producing layouts that optimise certain aesthetic qualities, the graphs are easier to understand. Such aesthetics includemaximise symmetry, minimise edge crosses and minimise bends.A previous study aimed to validate these claims with respect to three aesthetics, using paper-based experiments [11]. The study reported here is superior in many ways: five aesthetics are considered, attempts are made to place a priority order on the relative importance of the aesthetics, the experiments are run on-line, and the ease of understanding the drawings is measured in time, as well as in the number of errors. In addition, greater consideration is given to the possible effect of confounding factors in the graph drawings.The results indicate that reducing the number of edge crosses is by far the most important aesthetic, while minimising the number of bends and maximising symmetry have a lesser effect. The effects of maximising the minimum angle between edges leaving a node and of fixing edges and nodes to an orthogonal grid are not statistically significant.This work is important since it helps to demonstrate to algorithm and system designers the aesthetic qualities most important for aiding human understanding, the most appropriate compromises to make when there is a conflict in aesthetics, and consequently, how to build more effective systems.