Visage: a user interface environment for exploring information

Visage is a prototype user interface environment for exploring and analyzing information. It represents an approach to coordinating multiple visualizations, analysis and presentation tools in data-intensive domains. Visage is based on an information-centric approach to user interface design which strives to eliminate impediments to direct user access to information objects across applications and visualizations. Visage consists of a set of data manipulation operations, an intelligent system for generating a wide variety of data visualizations (SAGE) and a briefing tool that supports the conversion of visual displays used during exploration into interactive presentation slides. This paper presents the user interface components and styles of interaction that are central to Visage's information-centric approach.