Excentric labeling: dynamic neighborhood labeling for data visualization

The widespread use of information visualization is hampered bythe lack of effective labeling techniques. An informal taxonomy of
labeling methods is proposed. We then describe excentric labeling,
a new dynamic technique to label a neighborhood of objects located
around the cursor. This technique does not intrude into the
existing interaction, it is not computationally intensive, and was
easily applied to several visualization applications. A pilot study
with eight subjects indicates a strong speed benefit over a zoom
interface for tasks that involve the exploration of large numbers
of objects. Observations and comments from users are presented.