based on the article Arrows written by Bang Wong published in Nature Methods, september 2011 Edition The word arrow could bring in a couple of pictures in our mind. According to the visual taxonomy, they are graphical symbols used to point or indicate a direction. In the simplest form an arrow could be a line segment followed by a triangle at one of the ends. In a nutshell, arrows could be described as the “verbs” of visual communication. Apart from indicating and pointing an arrow can also be contribute to other functions. complex information. Arrows are generally used to point out relevant features in diagrams. They are also help in drawing attention towards the functional relationships between elements rather than the elements themselves. They could also readily be interpreted as conveying change, movement or causality. Like any other visual symbol, arrows hold meaning in them, which could be interpreted according to the context in which they are being used. Metaphorically arrows are used to show increase and decrease in values, whereas contextually they are interpreted based on surroundings. Apart from the above there could be several meaning drawn There are several thumb rules to be followed when dealing with arrows. Some of which are listed below: • Arrows are supposed to be used sparingly and clearly. • Arrows should be well proportioned so that their direction is easy to recognize. • It is a best-practice to avoid using arrows with an open head (>) as the negative space created adds to the visual noise. • Lines could be used instead of arrows to connect the elements. • Reserve the lines with arrow heads for indicating direction or sequence. Arrows Aarushi Mishra & Samuel Pushpak | Information Visualization| Information and Interface Design |2012-13 Batch