| The aesthetics, complexity, and usability of visualizations are topics that regularly arise in discussions of information visualizations. However, no study thus far has considered the relationships among these three dimensions. This study investigates the relationships among perceived aesthetics, perceived complexity, and actual usability in treemap visualizations. A methodology for exploring these relationships is introduced, and performed on 45 participants. We found correlations between aesthetics and complexity, complexity and usability, and usability and aesthetics. We also found evidence that the use of treemaps affected a number of these correlations, demonstrating that interaction affects our perception of aesthetics, complexity, and usability. Furthermore, we found that partitioning participants by their aesthetic background and usability test performance resulted in significant results. A discussion of the implications of these results is presented, and emphasizes the need for consideration of aesthetics, complexity, and usability in the design of treemap visualizations. |
