Give Text A Chance: Advocating for Equal Consideration for Language and Visualization

TL;DR

This paper tackles the neglect of textual context in visualization research by arguing for equal consideration of language construction and readability alongside visual encodings. It proposes integrating readability considerations into the evaluation and design process and advocates for a strong text-only baseline to quantify the benefit of visuals. Drawing on multimedia theory and prior studies, it discusses how text and images interact to affect reading, skimming, and interpretation. The proposed approach aims to improve the efficacy and accessibility of visualization by aligning design and evaluation with readers' needs and preferences.

Abstract

Visualization research tends to de-emphasize consideration of the textual context in which its images are placed. We argue that visualization research should consider textual representations as a primary alternative to visual options when assessing designs, and when assessing designs, equal attention should be given to the construction of the language as to the visualizations. We also call for a consideration of readability when integrating visualizations with written text. In highlighting these points, visualization research would be elevated in efficacy and demonstrate thorough accounting for viewers' needs and responses.