Designing a Situational Awareness Information Display: Adopting an Affordance-Based Framework to Amplify User Experience in Environmental Interaction Design

Yingjie Chen,Weiran Lei,Zhenyu Qian

doi:10.3390/informatics3020006

Abstract

User experience remains a crucial consideration when assessing the successfulness of information visualization systems. The theory of affordances provides a robust framework for user experience design. In this article, we demonstrate a design case that employs an affordance-based framework and evaluate the information visualization display design. SolarWheels is an interactive information visualization designed for large display walls in computer network control rooms to help cybersecurity analysts become aware of network status and emerging issues. Given the critical nature of this context, the status and performance of a computer network must be precisely monitored and remedied in real time. In this study, we consider various aspects of affordances in order to amplify the user experience via visualization and interaction design. SolarWheels visualizes the multilayer multidimensional computer network issues with a series of integrated circular visualizations inspired by the metaphor of the solar system. To amplify user interaction and experience, the system provides a three-zone physical interaction that allows multiple users to interact with the system. Users can read details at different levels depending on their distance from the display. An expert evaluation study, based on a four-layer affordance framework, was conducted to assess and improve the interactive visualization design.

Highlights

Since the emergence of the internet, cyberattacks by hostile organizations have been on the rise; these attacks threaten governments, corporations, and individuals by attempting to extract financial, technical, and strategic security information
We introduced an “affordance” perspective to evaluate the information visualization (InfoVis) and interaction design so that the user can more naturally engage with the system
In order order to to innovate innovate the the traditional traditional visualization visualization methods, methods, such such as bar charts, pie charts, and network graphs, we looked into inspirations from the natural world as bar charts, pie charts, and network graphs, we looked into inspirations from the natural world to to engender engender innovative innovative design design thinking

Summary

Introduction

Since the emergence of the internet, cyberattacks by hostile organizations have been on the rise; these attacks threaten governments, corporations, and individuals by attempting to extract financial, technical, and strategic security information. Ensuring the security of a computer network requires the timely discovery or, more ideally, the prediction and prevention of abnormal events that may compromise information or infrastructure. For a medium-to-large-scale computer network that contains thousands to millions of computers, a control room with large screens is essential to monitor the entire network and prevent cyberattacks. Given this context, researchers focus on enhancing situational awareness (SA) to communicate and respond to security alerts efficiently and effectively [1]. SA involves an awareness of what is happening with the networks, and how information, events, and actions of individuals affect collective goals and objectives, both immediately and in the near future [2].

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