The placement of digital values in configural displays

Investigations of the relative merits of graphical (analog) and numerical (digital) formats have a long tradition in the display design literature. These issues are re-examined for the design of configural displays (displays that map multiple individual variables into a single graphical format). Six displays that varied with regard to the presence, spatial location, and dynamic behavior of digital values were evaluated. Performance was assessed for two tasks that imposed different cognitive demands. The results indicate that the presence of digital values had a substantial and positive impact on performance. The results also indicate a display by task trade-off. Placing a digital value in a spatially dedicated location improves performance when the variable of interest is known before the display is accessed. On the other hand, providing a dynamic spatial link between graphical elements of the configural display and the digital value improves performance when the variable of interest is dependent upon data relationships. Design recommendations based on these findings and practical considerations are discussed.

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