An interaction model for visualizations beyond the desktop

We present an interaction model for beyond-desktop visualizations that combines the visualization reference model with the instrumental interaction paradigm. Beyond-desktop visualizations involve a wide range of emerging technologies such as wall-sized displays, 3D and shape-changing displays, touch and tangible input, and physical information visualizations. While these technologies allow for new forms of interaction, they are often studied in isolation. New conceptual models are needed to build a coherent picture of what has been done and what is possible. We describe a modified pipeline model where raw data is processed into a visualization and then rendered into the physical world. Users can explore or change data by directly manipulating visualizations or through the use of instruments. Interactions can also take place in the physical world outside the visualization system, such as when using locomotion to inspect a large scale visualization. Through case studies we illustrate how this model can be used to describe both conventional and unconventional interactive visualization systems, and compare different design alternatives.