Sketching, Searching, and Customizing Visualizations: a Content-based Approach to Design Retrieval

We present new techniques for retrieval of data-graphics and a system, SageBook, that employs these techniques to facilitate the process of visualization design. Design is an important activity in many different disciplines, including engineering, science, and business, but current systems provide little support for non-expert users to design new graphics for use in data analysis. SageBook’s approach is to provide expertise through the retrieval and reuse of previously successful designs. The design task places new demands on retrieval technology because it requires not only a good search engine but also effective tools to pose queries, browse results, and adapt previous designs for reuse. Despite our focus on data-graphic design, the concepts presented can be transferred to other design activities.