Mumbai University > Information Technology > Semester 7 > Software Architecture.

Some issues in visualizations are presented below:

1. Same symbol, different meaning

When the same symbol is used multiple times in the same visualization, or even across related visualization, it becomes confusing for users if different meanings are applied to the symbol. This is extremely common for generic symbols such as basic shapes (rectangles, ovals, arrows, etc.) Figure below shows that client-server are all connected with the same type of plain lines although labels indicate that these are different.

2. Differences without meaning

Graphical visualizations in which similar elements are repeated over and over can often appear uninteresting or aesthetically flat. It is common to spice up such diagrams by adding decorations and other changes to symbols, primarily for their aesthetic value. Example:

3. Decorations without meaning

Decorations without meaning problem occurs when consistent inclusion of visual decoration is done that indicates meaning but are not intended to convey it. Classic example of this is the use of double-headed arrows to indicate a simple connection between two symbols. The arrow heads imply directionality, but often the intended meaning is simply an association. In this case, the arrow heads confuse the users.

4. Borrowed symbol, different meaning

Visualizations are never truly interpreted anew; different users interpret different symbols differently. Using symbols that are strongly associated with a different visualization is a good idea if the rough meaning of the symbol is brought along as well. Using same symbol to mean something completely different is a recipe for disaster. Example: The problem with diagram below is that normally the vertical cylinder used in this diagram to represent business logic is generally used to indicated data store or database.