How computer graphing programs change the graph design process

Abstract

Graphing experts often critique the fill patterns which appear in many computer-generated graphs and charts because they can distract from and even distort the information. One of the reasons these fill patterns are so problematic is that they are automatically inserted into any plot a user chooses. In this paper I present both a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of fill patterns and the results of research which compares the ways in which both computer designers and paper-and-pencil designers fill the enclosed areas of their graphs and charts. Results show that automatically placed fill patterns exert strong behavioral influences on computer designers and result in decisions that might be different than if they were using paper and pencil.