Visual representations of data are increasingly prevalent, but we lack a detailed theoretical framework to explain what factors make easy or difficult to read and understand; nor do we know how such factors can impact data visualizations’ efficiency as learning material.
In this Master’s Thesis, I address this gap by exploring the validity and applicability of Cognitive Load Theory, an educational and cognitive science theoretical framework, for designing and evaluating data visualizations. Beyond empirical findings, I also contribute an interdisciplinary perspective on the cognitive processing of visualizations, and I discuss implications in assessing readability in visualization studies.
This work was conducted for my Master’s Thesis under the supervision of Lorenzo Ciccione, Petra Isenberg, and Tobias Isenberg.

Each participant saw two visualizations: one of each style and content.