Visual scalability

Visual scalability is the capability of visualization tools effectively to display large datasets, in terms of either the number or the dimension of individual data elements. This article defines and structures the problem of visual scalability, with special emphasis on the role of visualization as a means of access to details of the data. This is done abstractly in terms of responses that measure the business or scientific impact of visualizations and factors that affect the responses, and concretely in terms of measures of visual scalability and factors influencing them. We assess both current capabilities and future prospects along a number of dimensions. Our approach for increasing visual scalability includes improved visual metaphors, interactivity and perspectives that link multiple views.