Schematization of Clutter Reduction Techniques in Geographic Node-link Diagrams using Task-based Criteria

Visual clutter is a hot topic in the domain of node-link diagrams as it negatively affects usability, aesthetics and data interpretation. The organization of items, i.e. the way nodes and links are positioned in the display, is one problem among many that leads to visual clutter. In previous work, different techniques were proposed to reduce the clutter that depends on the organization of nodes and links. However, a schematization of such techniques by task was never considered. Approaching the problem by task would be more efficient since visual clutter, by definition, depends on the task to be performed. In this paper, we propose a solution to visual clutter driven by the type of task. In particular, the aim of our work is to provide an answer to the following question: Given a task and a geographic node-link diagram, which are the appropriated techniques to reduce the visual clutter that depends on the spatial organization of nodes and links. In our solution, we have classified tasks into a limited number of task groups. For each tasks group, we have identified and analyzed issues leading to a performance degradation. The final outcome consists on a list of good candidate techniques for each task group. The selected techniques are the results of a survey that selects only approaches that act on the position of nodes and links.