EzMail: using information visualization techniques to help manage email

Originally designed as a messaging application, email is now used for a wide range of functions. Email clients however have not progressed correspondingly to support users with email management. This work describes the design of EzMail, an email visualization tool that runs in conjunction with an email client and creates a multi-view interface to assist with email management. Our primary focus is to group and visualize messages as components of threads to provide contextual information and conversational history. We have developed visualizations for individual messages, message properties, and messages in a thread. Message annotation is incorporated, along with a capability for replying simultaneously to several messages. A small user survey and a user study provided information regarding users´ management of their messages and threads, and a comparative evaluation of EzMail with respect to Microsoft Outlook.