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Are We There Yet? Unravelling Usability Challenges and Opportunities in Collaborative Immersive Analytics for Domain Experts

Fahim Arsad Nafis, Alexander Rose, Simon Su, Songqing Chen, Bo Han

TL;DR

The paper investigates usability challenges in collaborative immersive analytics (CIA) using ParaView XR for domain experts. It develops a framework for CIA usability studies grounded in established HCI theory and conducts two experiments comparing individual versus collaborative use. Findings reveal critical issues such as the lack of synchronous collaboration, limited communication methods, absence of role-based data access, and deficient feedback and error handling. The authors propose concrete recommendations including real-time synchronization, differential synchronization, dynamic role-based access control, and context-aware collaboration to enhance usability and collaborative workflows in immersive analytics.

Abstract

In the ever-evolving discipline of high-dimensional scientific data, collaborative immersive analytics (CIA) offers a promising frontier for domain experts in complex data visualization and interpretation. This research presents a comprehensive framework for conducting usability studies on the extended reality (XR) interface of ParaView, an open-source CIA system. By employing established human-computer interaction (HCI) principles, including Jakob Nielsen's Usability Heuristics, Cognitive Load Theory, NASA Task Load Index, System Usability Scale, Affordance Theory, and Gulf of Execution and Evaluation, this study aims to identify underlying usability issues and provide guidelines for enhancing user experience in scientific domains. Our findings reveal significant usability challenges in the ParaView XR interface that impede effective teamwork and collaboration. For instance, the lack of synchronous collaboration, limited communication methods, and the absence of role-based data access are critical areas that need attention. Additionally, inadequate error handling, insufficient feedback mechanisms, and limited support resources during application use require extensive improvement to fully utilize the system's potential. Our study suggests potential improvements to overcome the existing usability barriers of the collaborative immersive system.

Are We There Yet? Unravelling Usability Challenges and Opportunities in Collaborative Immersive Analytics for Domain Experts

TL;DR

The paper investigates usability challenges in collaborative immersive analytics (CIA) using ParaView XR for domain experts. It develops a framework for CIA usability studies grounded in established HCI theory and conducts two experiments comparing individual versus collaborative use. Findings reveal critical issues such as the lack of synchronous collaboration, limited communication methods, absence of role-based data access, and deficient feedback and error handling. The authors propose concrete recommendations including real-time synchronization, differential synchronization, dynamic role-based access control, and context-aware collaboration to enhance usability and collaborative workflows in immersive analytics.

Abstract

In the ever-evolving discipline of high-dimensional scientific data, collaborative immersive analytics (CIA) offers a promising frontier for domain experts in complex data visualization and interpretation. This research presents a comprehensive framework for conducting usability studies on the extended reality (XR) interface of ParaView, an open-source CIA system. By employing established human-computer interaction (HCI) principles, including Jakob Nielsen's Usability Heuristics, Cognitive Load Theory, NASA Task Load Index, System Usability Scale, Affordance Theory, and Gulf of Execution and Evaluation, this study aims to identify underlying usability issues and provide guidelines for enhancing user experience in scientific domains. Our findings reveal significant usability challenges in the ParaView XR interface that impede effective teamwork and collaboration. For instance, the lack of synchronous collaboration, limited communication methods, and the absence of role-based data access are critical areas that need attention. Additionally, inadequate error handling, insufficient feedback mechanisms, and limited support resources during application use require extensive improvement to fully utilize the system's potential. Our study suggests potential improvements to overcome the existing usability barriers of the collaborative immersive system.
Paper Structure (17 sections, 9 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 17 sections, 9 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Collaborative Immersive Analytics
  4. Human-computer Interaction Principles
  5. Usability Study of CIA Systems
  6. Methodology
  7. Experiment Setup
  8. Participants
  9. Experiment Design
  10. Experiment Procedures
  11. Results and Discussions
  12. Results of Experiment 1
  13. Results of Experiment 2
  14. Key Findings in the CIA Module
  15. Recommendations
  16. ...and 2 more sections

Figures (9)

  • Figure 1: Visualization of 3D scalar active region magnetic field (left), visualization of the concrete modelling and simulation on a high-performance computer (right).
  • Figure 2: Interaction with the visualization of 3D vector dipole magnetic field in ParaView XR interface (left), a screenshot of ParaView XR interface user menu (right).
  • Figure 3: Experiment design of the individual immersive analytics session.
  • Figure 4: Experiment design of the collaborative immersive analytics session.
  • Figure 5: Results of experiment 1 based on Jakob Nielsen’s Heuristics. SS, RW, CF, and AM represent the visibility of system status, the match between the system and the real world, user control and freedom, and aesthetic and minimalist design, respectively.
  • ...and 4 more figures