Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>In this paper we investigate image browsing as an interactive method for visualizing line graphs. We have compared two interfaces that both presented exactly identically looking tables, but while one version was an overview+detail interface, the other one was a distortion-oriented interface of bifocal type. We expected there to be no difference in task completion times, and found none in our first statistical evaluation. Users preferred the static overview+detail interface to the distortion-oriented, which was motivated by complaints about the changed appearance of the distortion-oriented table. The empirical results were compared to theoretical results obtained using Fitts’ law, which showed a difference in task completion time for a certain task type. A second statistical analysis included only data from task type for which a difference could be expected. The new results supported the theoretical model, saying that users were faster with the overview+detail interface. In this paper we discuss problems with image browsing tests, and suggest some ideas for future research topics and designs.</jats:p>