Color-Encoded Links Improve Homophily Perception in Node-Link Diagrams

IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph. 2023 Dec;29(12):5593-5598. doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2022.3221014. Epub 2023 Nov 10.

Abstract

Node-link diagrams enable visual assessment of homophily when viewers can identify and evaluate the relative number of intra-cluster and inter-cluster links. Our online experiment shows that a new design with link type encoded edge color leads to more accurate perception of homophily than a design with same-color edges.