Combined network and set visualization with hoop and linear diagrams

Set and network data co-occur frequently, with the sets representing node groupings and the network representing connections between node pairs. This paper investigates two different designs for jointly visualizing set and network data: HoopNet and LinearNet. HoopNet juxtaposes a hoop diagram with a circular network layout, whereas LinearNet juxtaposes a linear diagram with a linear network layout. We investigate two variations of each: a set-first and a network-first layout. Our human-subject studies show there is no difference between set-first and network-first optimization. However, participants achieved significantly higher accuracy with HoopNet, indicating it is a more effective visualization for set and network data than LinearNet.