We present the results from a pilot study that evaluates the effectiveness of 2D visualization methods in terms of a set of design factors, which are subjectively rated by expert visual designers. In collaboration with educators from the Illustration Department at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), we have defined a space of visualization methods using basic visual elements including icon hue, icon size, icon density, and background saturation (see Figure 1).

In this initial pilot study we presented our subjects with single variable visualization methods. The results characterize the effectiveness of individual visual elements according to our design factors. We are beginning to test these results by creating two-variable visualizations and studying how the different visual elements interact.