| Abstract | Information visualizations often make permanent changes to
the user interface with the aim of supporting specific tasks.
However, a permanent visualization cannot support the variety
of tasks found in realistic work settings equally well. We
explore interaction techniques that transiently visualize
information near the user’s focus of attention. Transient
visualizations support specific contexts of use without
permanently changing the user interface, and aim to
seamlessly integrate with existing tools and to decrease
distraction. Examples of transient visualizations for document
search, map zoom-outs, fisheye views of source code, and
thesaurus access are presented. We provide an initial
validation of transient visualizations by comparing a transient
overview for maps to a permanent visualization. Among 20
users of these visualizations, all but four preferred the
transient visualization. However, differences in time and error
rates were insignificant. On this background, we discuss the
potential of transient visualizations and future directions. |