Mapping semantic relevancy of information displays

Abstract

Semantic Relevancy Maps are a visual analytic technique for representing the distribution of semantic relevancy across an information display. The maps highlight the text areas of the display corresponding to the relevance of that text to user goals, with stronger highlights indicating higher degrees of relevance. Semantic Relevancy Maps were developed as a tool for high-fidelity computational cognitive models that search complex information displays in the same manner as humans. However, they offer the potential to be a standalone tool for quickly evaluating the spatial layout of information for designers or, more simply, for identifying the spatial location of sought-for information by any computer user.