Spatial Metaphors for Visualizing Information Spaces

The growing volume and complexity of the World Wide Web creates a need for new forms of interaction with information. Spatial metaphors have been in the focus of interface research for a number of years. Recently, a related concept called spatialization has emerged as one possible strategy for dealing with modern information glut. However, the term remains ill-defined. We present a definition of spatialization that is based on the notion of information spaces that are non-spatial and high-dimensional. Through spatialization, they are projected into a low-dimensional form and made accessible for visual interpretation.