Explode to Explain - Illustrative Information Visualization

Due to complexity, modern visualization techniques for large data volumes and complex interrelationships are difficult to understand for non-expert users and even for expert users the visualization result may be difficult to interpret. Often the limited screen space and the risk of occlusion hinders a meaningful explanation of techniques or datasets by additional visual elements. This paper presents a novel way how views from information visualization can be adapted by the use of the well-known illustrative technique "exploded view", to successfully face the problems described above. The application of exploded views gains screen space for an explanation in a smart way and acts explanatory itself. With our approach of illustrating visual representations, the understanding of complex visualization techniques is eased and new comprehensible views on data are given.