Viewer attitudes regarding the communication value of graphic visualizations prepared with differing levels of visual detail

This study investigates viewer attitudes about the communication effectiveness of computer graphic visualizations (CGVs) regarding land development design projects. Studies by other investigators (Bishop and Rohrmann, 2003; Lange, 2001; Neto, 2006; Daniel and Meitner, 2001) have come to conflicting conclusions regarding image detail and the representational validity of CGVs. This study discovered that viewers perceive a significant difference in the value of illustrative detail in graphic content, but that difference was significant mainly regarding aspects of building appearance and the amount of information conveyed by the images. Other aspects such as the arrangement and appearance of vegetation, traffic patterns, and site entourage elements did not show any significant viewer preferences, though viewer comments requested a higher level of detail for vegetation. This suggests that attention to graphic detail is subject specific. The study also tracked production aspects regarding the preparation of the various design visualizations. There are clear implications of increasing costs regarding the successive increases in visual detail. As a result, this study finds that low levels of visual detail in traffic patterns and site entourage elements, and moderate levels of visual detail in buildings and vegetation are the most cost effective way to produce graphic content for use in presentations regarding the public review process.