User Comprehension of Complexity Design Graph Reports

Decision makers spend significant time and effort interpreting information derived from large multidimensional databases; data are usually represented by several dashboard diagrams. The Complexity Design (CoDe) methodology provides a technique modeling graphical reports on data extracted by a data warehouse, where the charts composing the dashboard diagrams are integrated with a visual representation of the logical relationships among them. The generated visualizations (CoDe Graphs) are automatically obtained by connecting dashboard diagrams through graphical conceptual links. After analyzing the state of the art regarding the evaluation of graphical representation comprehensibility, we propose a classification of those evaluation approaches and evaluate the comprehensibility of CoDe Graphs concerning dashboard reports through a controlled experiment, involving 47 participants. Results show that CoDe Graphs reduce participants effort while improving effectiveness and efficiency in comprehension tasks.