A Literature-based Visualization Task Taxonomy for Gantt Charts

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive taxonomy of low-level visualization tasks for Gantt charts, derived from a 30-year literature survey, to aid developers in handling large-scale, complex temporal data efficiently.

Contribution

It introduces a novel task taxonomy for Gantt charts linked to data queries, based on an extensive review of existing visualization literature.

Findings

Taxonomy covers 30 years of Gantt chart literature.

Connects visualization tasks with data query requirements.

Aims to improve scalability and interactivity in Gantt chart visualizations.

Abstract

Gantt charts are a widely-used idiom for visualizing temporal discrete event sequence data where dependencies exist between events. They are popular in domains such as manufacturing and computing for their intuitive layout of such data. However, these domains frequently generate data at scales which tax both the visual representation and the ability to render it at interactive speeds. To aid visualization developers who use Gantt charts in these situations, we develop a task taxonomy of low level visualization tasks supported by Gantt charts and connect them to the data queries needed to support them. Our taxonomy is derived through a literature survey of visualizations using Gantt charts over the past 30 years.