An empirical study of task support in 3D information visualizations

There is still little knowledge about what factors important for the usability of a 3D user interface. We have performed a comparative study of three 3D information visualizations as a step towards a better understanding of this. The study involved 25 volunteer subjects, performing three different tasks with the Information Landscape, Cam Tree, and Information Cube. The results of the study indicate that the subjects were significantly faster with the Information Landscape when compared with both other visualizations. The Cam Tree was significantly faster than the Information Cube. Our observations during the study indicate that local and global overview are extremely important factors. We also observed that custom navigation is crucial in 3D user interfaces. Finally, the study raises the question: “for what types of tasks is a 3D user interface best suited?”