How Users Perceive and Use Interactive Information Graphics: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This paper presents an exploratory empirical study about users’ reception and usage behavior with interactive information graphics. 14 participants took part in the study. We assume users to act interest-driven. Therefore no explicit tasks were assigned to participants. In order not to distract the user, retrospective thinking aloud was employed. Results show that (1) usage durations were heterogeneous between users and between different types of interactive information graphics; (2) users tended to watch introductory animations; (3) initial orientation without interaction on the first content screen (after intro) was rather long with 23 seconds on average; (4) story-based approaches seem to motivate users but might lead to less intensive reception of information; (5) several reception and usage problems have been identified regarding information presentation and interaction. Interactive information graphics tend to overwhelm users with too much information and disregard well-known principles and rules of the old media and web design.