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AI Agents and the Future of VIS
Authors:
Chen Zhu-Tian,
Nam Wook Kim,
Saeed Boorboor,
Shivam Raval,
Pan Hao,
Qianwen Wang,
Vidya Setlur
Abstract:
Recent advances in agents (i.e., autonomous, goal-driven AI systems that iteratively observe, act, and learn from their environments) offer a fundamentally different approach from traditional AI models that passively respond to input. These AI agents are rapidly reshaping how we approach data-intensive tasks and providing new opportunities for the VIS community. Imagine an agent autonomously gener…
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Recent advances in agents (i.e., autonomous, goal-driven AI systems that iteratively observe, act, and learn from their environments) offer a fundamentally different approach from traditional AI models that passively respond to input. These AI agents are rapidly reshaping how we approach data-intensive tasks and providing new opportunities for the VIS community. Imagine an agent autonomously generating visualizations to analyze complex data, discovering patterns collaboratively, testing hypotheses, and communicating visual insights at a speed and scale beyond human capability. Yet, the emergence of these powerful systems raises critical questions that the VIS community must address: Could autonomous agents eventually replace human data scientists, and if not, how might they best collaborate? Are current visualization techniques and interfaces, originally designed for human analysts, suitable for agent interactions? How can VIS designers effectively integrate agents into their workflows without compromising human agency? And to what extent should agents help shape and educate the next generation of visualization researchers? Through a mix of keynote talks, paper presentations, and an agentic VIS challenge, this workshop invites researchers and practitioners to share innovative ideas, explore these questions, and discuss strategies to transform the impact of VIS for a future where human and AI agents co-exist.
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Submitted 14 August, 2026;
originally announced August 2026.
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Disrupting Cognitive Passivity: Rethinking AI-Assisted Data Literacy through Cognitive Alignment
Authors:
Yongsu Ahn,
Nam Wook Kim,
Benjamin Bach
Abstract:
AI chatbots are increasingly stepping into roles as collaborators or teachers in analyzing, visualizing, and reasoning through data and domain problem. Yet, AI's default assistant mode with its comprehensive and one-off responses may undermine opportunities for practitioners to develop literacy through their own thinking, inducing cognitive passivity. Drawing on evidence from empirical studies and…
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AI chatbots are increasingly stepping into roles as collaborators or teachers in analyzing, visualizing, and reasoning through data and domain problem. Yet, AI's default assistant mode with its comprehensive and one-off responses may undermine opportunities for practitioners to develop literacy through their own thinking, inducing cognitive passivity. Drawing on evidence from empirical studies and theories, we argue that disrupting cognitive passivity necessitates a nuanced approach: rather than simply making AI promote deliberative thinking, there is a need for more dynamic and adaptive strategy through cognitive alignment -- a framework that characterizes effective human-AI interaction as a function of alignment between users' cognitive demand and AI's interaction mode. In the framework, we provide the mapping between AI's interaction mode (transmissive or deliberative) and users' cognitive demand (receptive or deliberative), otherwise leading to either cognitive passivity or friction. We further discuss implications and offer open questions for future research on data literacy.
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Submitted 3 April, 2026;
originally announced April 2026.
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From Answer Givers to Design Mentors: Guiding LLMs with the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model
Authors:
Yongsu Ahn,
Lejun R Liao,
Benjamin Bach,
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
Design feedback helps practitioners improve their artifacts while also fostering reflection and design reasoning. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT can support design work, but often provide generic, one-off suggestions that limit reflective engagement. We investigate how to guide LLMs to act as design mentors by applying the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model, which emphasizes demonstratin…
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Design feedback helps practitioners improve their artifacts while also fostering reflection and design reasoning. Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT can support design work, but often provide generic, one-off suggestions that limit reflective engagement. We investigate how to guide LLMs to act as design mentors by applying the Cognitive Apprenticeship Model, which emphasizes demonstrating reasoning through six methods: modeling, coaching, scaffolding, articulation, reflection, and exploration. We operationalize these instructional methods through structured prompting and evaluate them in a within-subjects study with data visualization practitioners. Participants interacted with both a baseline LLM and an instructional LLM designed with cognitive apprenticeship prompts. Surveys, interviews, and conversational log analyses compared experiences across conditions. Our findings show that cognitively informed prompts elicit deeper design reasoning and more reflective feedback exchanges, though the baseline is sometimes preferred depending on task types or experience levels. We distill design considerations for AI-assisted feedback systems that foster reflective practice.
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Submitted 26 January, 2026;
originally announced January 2026.
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"They Aren't Built For Me": An Exploratory Study of Strategies for Measurement of Graphical Primitives in Tactile Graphics
Authors:
Areen Khalaila,
Lane Harrison,
Nam Wook Kim,
Dylan Cashman
Abstract:
Advancements in accessibility technologies such as low-cost swell form printers or refreshable tactile displays promise to allow blind or low-vision (BLV) people to analyze data by transforming visual representations directly to tactile representations. However, it is possible that design guidelines derived from experiments on the visual perception system may not be suited for the tactile percepti…
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Advancements in accessibility technologies such as low-cost swell form printers or refreshable tactile displays promise to allow blind or low-vision (BLV) people to analyze data by transforming visual representations directly to tactile representations. However, it is possible that design guidelines derived from experiments on the visual perception system may not be suited for the tactile perception system. We investigate the potential mismatch between familiar visual encodings and tactile perception in an exploratory study into the strategies employed by BLV people to measure common graphical primitives converted to tactile representations. First, we replicate the Cleveland and McGill study on graphical perception using swell form printing with eleven BLV subjects. Then, we present results from a group interview in which we describe the strategies used by our subjects to read four common chart types. While our results suggest that familiar encodings based on visual perception studies can be useful in tactile graphics, our subjects also expressed a desire to use encodings designed explicitly for BLV people. Based on this study, we identify gaps between the perceptual expectations of common charts and the perceptual tools available in tactile perception. Then, we present a set of guidelines for the design of tactile graphics that accounts for these gaps. Supplemental material is available at https://osf.io/3nsfp/?view_only=7b7b8dcbae1d4c9a8bb4325053d13d9f.
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Submitted 19 August, 2025;
originally announced August 2025.
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Understanding Why ChatGPT Outperforms Humans in Visualization Design Advice
Authors:
Yongsu Ahn,
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
This paper investigates why recent generative AI models outperform humans in data visualization knowledge tasks. Through systematic comparative analysis of responses to visualization questions, we find that differences exist between two ChatGPT models and human outputs over rhetorical structure, knowledge breadth, and perceptual quality. Our findings reveal that ChatGPT-4, as a more advanced model…
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This paper investigates why recent generative AI models outperform humans in data visualization knowledge tasks. Through systematic comparative analysis of responses to visualization questions, we find that differences exist between two ChatGPT models and human outputs over rhetorical structure, knowledge breadth, and perceptual quality. Our findings reveal that ChatGPT-4, as a more advanced model, displays a hybrid of characteristics from both humans and ChatGPT-3.5. The two models were generally favored over human responses, while their strengths in coverage and breadth, and emphasis on technical and task-oriented visualization feedback collectively shaped higher overall quality. Based on our findings, we draw implications for advancing user experiences based on the potential of LLMs and human perception over their capabilities, with relevance to broader applications of AI.
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Submitted 2 August, 2025;
originally announced August 2025.
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Understanding Bias in Perceiving Dimensionality Reduction Projections
Authors:
Seoyoung Doh,
Hyeon Jeon,
Sungbok Shin,
Ghulam Jilani Quadri,
Nam Wook Kim,
Jinwook Seo
Abstract:
Selecting the dimensionality reduction technique that faithfully represents the structure is essential for reliable visual communication and analytics. In reality, however, practitioners favor projections for other attractions, such as aesthetics and visual saliency, over the projection's structural faithfulness, a bias we define as visual interestingness. In this research, we conduct a user study…
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Selecting the dimensionality reduction technique that faithfully represents the structure is essential for reliable visual communication and analytics. In reality, however, practitioners favor projections for other attractions, such as aesthetics and visual saliency, over the projection's structural faithfulness, a bias we define as visual interestingness. In this research, we conduct a user study that (1) verifies the existence of such bias and (2) explains why the bias exists. Our study suggests that visual interestingness biases practitioners' preferences when selecting projections for analysis, and this bias intensifies with color-encoded labels and shorter exposure time. Based on our findings, we discuss strategies to mitigate bias in perceiving and interpreting DR projections.
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Submitted 28 July, 2025;
originally announced July 2025.
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InfoFusion Controller: Informed TRRT Star with Mutual Information based on Fusion of Pure Pursuit and MPC for Enhanced Path Planning
Authors:
Seongjun Choi,
Youngbum Kim,
Nam Woo Kim,
Mansun Shin,
Byunggi Chae,
Sungjin Lee
Abstract:
In this paper, we propose the InfoFusion Controller, an advanced path planning algorithm that integrates both global and local planning strategies to enhance autonomous driving in complex urban environments. The global planner utilizes the informed Theta-Rapidly-exploring Random Tree Star (Informed-TRRT*) algorithm to generate an optimal reference path, while the local planner combines Model Predi…
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In this paper, we propose the InfoFusion Controller, an advanced path planning algorithm that integrates both global and local planning strategies to enhance autonomous driving in complex urban environments. The global planner utilizes the informed Theta-Rapidly-exploring Random Tree Star (Informed-TRRT*) algorithm to generate an optimal reference path, while the local planner combines Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Pure Pursuit algorithms. Mutual Information (MI) is employed to fuse the outputs of the MPC and Pure Pursuit controllers, effectively balancing their strengths and compensating for their weaknesses. The proposed method addresses the challenges of navigating in dynamic environments with unpredictable obstacles by reducing uncertainty in local path planning and improving dynamic obstacle avoidance capabilities. Experimental results demonstrate that the InfoFusion Controller outperforms traditional methods in terms of safety, stability, and efficiency across various scenarios, including complex maps generated using SLAM techniques.
The code for the InfoFusion Controller is available at https: //github.com/DrawingProcess/InfoFusionController.
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Submitted 7 March, 2025;
originally announced March 2025.
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"They Aren't Built For Me": A Replication Study of Visual Graphical Perception with Tactile Representations of Data for Visually Impaired Users
Authors:
Areen Khalaila,
Lane Harrison,
Nam Wook Kim,
Dylan Cashman
Abstract:
New tactile interfaces such as swell form printing or refreshable tactile displays promise to allow visually impaired people to analyze data. However, it is possible that design guidelines and familiar encodings derived from experiments on the visual perception system may not be optimal for the tactile perception system. We replicate the Cleveland and McGill study on graphical perception using swe…
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New tactile interfaces such as swell form printing or refreshable tactile displays promise to allow visually impaired people to analyze data. However, it is possible that design guidelines and familiar encodings derived from experiments on the visual perception system may not be optimal for the tactile perception system. We replicate the Cleveland and McGill study on graphical perception using swell form printing with eleven visually impaired subjects. We find that the visually impaired subjects read charts quicker and with similar and sometimes superior accuracy than in those replications. Based on a group interview with a subset of participants, we describe the strategies used by our subjects to read four chart types. While our results suggest that familiar encodings based on visual perception studies can be useful in tactile graphics, our subjects also expressed a desire to use encodings designed explicitly for visually impaired people.
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Submitted 10 October, 2024;
originally announced October 2024.
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ChatGPT in Data Visualization Education: A Student Perspective
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim,
Hyung-Kwon Ko,
Grace Myers,
Benjamin Bach
Abstract:
Unlike traditional educational chatbots that rely on pre-programmed responses, large-language model-driven chatbots, such as ChatGPT, demonstrate remarkable versatility to serve as a dynamic resource for addressing student needs from understanding advanced concepts to solving complex problems. This work explores the impact of such technology on student learning in an interdisciplinary, project-ori…
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Unlike traditional educational chatbots that rely on pre-programmed responses, large-language model-driven chatbots, such as ChatGPT, demonstrate remarkable versatility to serve as a dynamic resource for addressing student needs from understanding advanced concepts to solving complex problems. This work explores the impact of such technology on student learning in an interdisciplinary, project-oriented data visualization course. Throughout the semester, students engaged with ChatGPT across four distinct projects, designing and implementing data visualizations using a variety of tools such as Tableau, D3, and Vega-lite. We collected conversation logs and reflection surveys after each assignment and conducted interviews with selected students to gain deeper insights into their experiences with ChatGPT. Our analysis examined the advantages and barriers of using ChatGPT, students' querying behavior, the types of assistance sought, and its impact on assignment outcomes and engagement. We discuss design considerations for an educational solution tailored for data visualization education, extending beyond ChatGPT's basic interface.
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Submitted 16 August, 2024; v1 submitted 30 April, 2024;
originally announced May 2024.
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DataGarden: Exploring our Community in a VR Data Visualization
Authors:
Joy Kondo,
Justin Park,
Josiah Kondo,
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
As our society is becoming increasingly data-dependent, more and more people rely on charts and graphs to understand and communicate complex data. While such visualizations effectively reveal meaningful trends, they unavoidably aggregate data into points and bars that are overly simplified depictions of ourselves and our communities. We present DataGarden, a system that supports embodied interacti…
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As our society is becoming increasingly data-dependent, more and more people rely on charts and graphs to understand and communicate complex data. While such visualizations effectively reveal meaningful trends, they unavoidably aggregate data into points and bars that are overly simplified depictions of ourselves and our communities. We present DataGarden, a system that supports embodied interactions with humane data representations in an immersive VR environment. Through the system, we explore ways to rethink the traditional visualization approach and allow people to empathize more deeply with the people behind the data.
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Submitted 17 October, 2023;
originally announced October 2023.
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How Good is ChatGPT in Giving Advice on Your Visualization Design?
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim,
Yongsu Ahn,
Grace Myers,
Benjamin Bach
Abstract:
Data visualization creators often lack formal training, resulting in a knowledge gap in design practice. Large language models such as ChatGPT, with their vast internet-scale training data, offer transformative potential to address this gap. In this study, we used both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate how well ChatGPT can address visualization design questions. First, we quantit…
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Data visualization creators often lack formal training, resulting in a knowledge gap in design practice. Large language models such as ChatGPT, with their vast internet-scale training data, offer transformative potential to address this gap. In this study, we used both qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate how well ChatGPT can address visualization design questions. First, we quantitatively compared the ChatGPT-generated responses with anonymous online Human replies to data visualization questions on the VisGuides user forum. Next, we conducted a qualitative user study examining the reactions and attitudes of practitioners toward ChatGPT as a visualization design assistant. Participants were asked to bring their visualizations and design questions and received feedback from both Human experts and ChatGPT in randomized order. Our findings from both studies underscore ChatGPT's strengths, particularly its ability to rapidly generate diverse design options, while also highlighting areas for improvement, such as nuanced contextual understanding and fluid interaction dynamics beyond the chat interface. Drawing on these insights, we discuss design considerations for future LLM-based design feedback systems.
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Submitted 19 May, 2025; v1 submitted 14 October, 2023;
originally announced October 2023.
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Understanding the Research-Practice Gap in Visualization Design Guidelines
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim,
Grace Myers,
Jinhan Choi,
Yoonsuh Cho,
Changhoon Oh,
Yea-Seul Kim
Abstract:
Although empirical research often underpins practical visualization guidelines, it remains unclear how well these research-driven insights are reflected in the guidelines practitioners actually use. In this paper, we investigate the research-practice gap in visualization design guidelines through a mixed-methods approach. We collected 390 design guidelines from practitioner-facing sources and 235…
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Although empirical research often underpins practical visualization guidelines, it remains unclear how well these research-driven insights are reflected in the guidelines practitioners actually use. In this paper, we investigate the research-practice gap in visualization design guidelines through a mixed-methods approach. We collected 390 design guidelines from practitioner-facing sources and 235 empirical studies to quantitatively assess their alignment. To complement this analysis, we conducted surveys with 69 participants (33 practitioners, 36 researchers) and in-depth interviews with 20 experts to examine their experiences, perceptions, and challenges. Our findings reveal discrepancies: empirical evidence often contradicts or only partially supports widely used guidelines, and the two communities prioritize different attributes of design. Based on these insights, we derive a holistic guideline template (integrating Context, Approach, Problem, and Purpose) and discuss actionable strategies, such as a triadic knowledge model.
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Submitted 1 January, 2026; v1 submitted 14 October, 2023;
originally announced October 2023.
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VizAbility: Enhancing Chart Accessibility with LLM-based Conversational Interaction
Authors:
Joshua Gorniak,
Yoon Kim,
Donglai Wei,
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
Traditional accessibility methods like alternative text and data tables typically underrepresent data visualization's full potential. Keyboard-based chart navigation has emerged as a potential solution, yet efficient data exploration remains challenging. We present VizAbility, a novel system that enriches chart content navigation with conversational interaction, enabling users to use natural langu…
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Traditional accessibility methods like alternative text and data tables typically underrepresent data visualization's full potential. Keyboard-based chart navigation has emerged as a potential solution, yet efficient data exploration remains challenging. We present VizAbility, a novel system that enriches chart content navigation with conversational interaction, enabling users to use natural language for querying visual data trends. VizAbility adapts to the user's navigation context for improved response accuracy and facilitates verbal command-based chart navigation. Furthermore, it can address queries for contextual information, designed to address the needs of visually impaired users. We designed a large language model (LLM)-based pipeline to address these user queries, leveraging chart data & encoding, user context, and external web knowledge. We conducted both qualitative and quantitative studies to evaluate VizAbility's multimodal approach. We discuss further opportunities based on the results, including improved benchmark testing, incorporation of vision models, and integration with visualization workflows.
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Submitted 16 August, 2024; v1 submitted 14 October, 2023;
originally announced October 2023.
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Natural Language Dataset Generation Framework for Visualizations Powered by Large Language Models
Authors:
Hyung-Kwon Ko,
Hyeon Jeon,
Gwanmo Park,
Dae Hyun Kim,
Nam Wook Kim,
Juho Kim,
Jinwook Seo
Abstract:
We introduce VL2NL, a Large Language Model (LLM) framework that generates rich and diverse NL datasets using only Vega-Lite specifications as input, thereby streamlining the development of Natural Language Interfaces (NLIs) for data visualization. To synthesize relevant chart semantics accurately and enhance syntactic diversity in each NL dataset, we leverage 1) a guided discovery incorporated int…
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We introduce VL2NL, a Large Language Model (LLM) framework that generates rich and diverse NL datasets using only Vega-Lite specifications as input, thereby streamlining the development of Natural Language Interfaces (NLIs) for data visualization. To synthesize relevant chart semantics accurately and enhance syntactic diversity in each NL dataset, we leverage 1) a guided discovery incorporated into prompting so that LLMs can steer themselves to create faithful NL datasets in a self-directed manner; 2) a score-based paraphrasing to augment NL syntax along with four language axes. We also present a new collection of 1,981 real-world Vega-Lite specifications that have increased diversity and complexity than existing chart collections. When tested on our chart collection, VL2NL extracted chart semantics and generated L1/L2 captions with 89.4% and 76.0% accuracy, respectively. It also demonstrated generating and paraphrasing utterances and questions with greater diversity compared to the benchmarks. Last, we discuss how our NL datasets and framework can be utilized in real-world scenarios. The codes and chart collection are available at https://github.com/hyungkwonko/chart-llm.
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Submitted 21 January, 2024; v1 submitted 18 September, 2023;
originally announced September 2023.
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Kori: Interactive Synthesis of Text and Charts in Data Documents
Authors:
Shahid Latif,
Zheng Zhou,
Yoon Kim,
Fabian Beck,
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
Charts go hand in hand with text to communicate complex data and are widely adopted in news articles, online blogs, and academic papers. They provide graphical summaries of the data, while text explains the message and context. However, synthesizing information across text and charts is difficult; it requires readers to frequently shift their attention. We investigated ways to support the tight co…
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Charts go hand in hand with text to communicate complex data and are widely adopted in news articles, online blogs, and academic papers. They provide graphical summaries of the data, while text explains the message and context. However, synthesizing information across text and charts is difficult; it requires readers to frequently shift their attention. We investigated ways to support the tight coupling of text and charts in data documents. To understand their interplay, we analyzed the design space of chart-text references through news articles and scientific papers. Informed by the analysis, we developed a mixed-initiative interface enabling users to construct interactive references between text and charts. It leverages natural language processing to automatically suggest references as well as allows users to manually construct other references effortlessly. A user study complemented with algorithmic evaluation of the system suggests that the interface provides an effective way to compose interactive data documents.
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Submitted 9 August, 2021;
originally announced August 2021.
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Recording Reusable and Guided Analytics From Interaction Histories
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
The use of visual analytics tools has gained popularity in various domains, helping users discover meaningful information from complex and large data sets. Users often face difficulty in disseminating the knowledge discovered without clear recall of their exploration paths and analysis processes. We introduce a visual analysis tool that allows analysts to record reusable and guided analytics from…
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The use of visual analytics tools has gained popularity in various domains, helping users discover meaningful information from complex and large data sets. Users often face difficulty in disseminating the knowledge discovered without clear recall of their exploration paths and analysis processes. We introduce a visual analysis tool that allows analysts to record reusable and guided analytics from their interaction logs. To capture the analysis process, we use a decision tree whose node embeds visualizations and guide to define a visual analysis task. The tool enables analysts to formalize analysis strategies, build best practices, and guide novices through systematic workflows.
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Submitted 22 April, 2021;
originally announced April 2021.
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TurkEyes: A Web-Based Toolbox for Crowdsourcing Attention Data
Authors:
Anelise Newman,
Barry McNamara,
Camilo Fosco,
Yun Bin Zhang,
Pat Sukhum,
Matthew Tancik,
Nam Wook Kim,
Zoya Bylinskii
Abstract:
Eye movements provide insight into what parts of an image a viewer finds most salient, interesting, or relevant to the task at hand. Unfortunately, eye tracking data, a commonly-used proxy for attention, is cumbersome to collect. Here we explore an alternative: a comprehensive web-based toolbox for crowdsourcing visual attention. We draw from four main classes of attention-capturing methodologies…
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Eye movements provide insight into what parts of an image a viewer finds most salient, interesting, or relevant to the task at hand. Unfortunately, eye tracking data, a commonly-used proxy for attention, is cumbersome to collect. Here we explore an alternative: a comprehensive web-based toolbox for crowdsourcing visual attention. We draw from four main classes of attention-capturing methodologies in the literature. ZoomMaps is a novel "zoom-based" interface that captures viewing on a mobile phone. CodeCharts is a "self-reporting" methodology that records points of interest at precise viewing durations. ImportAnnots is an "annotation" tool for selecting important image regions, and "cursor-based" BubbleView lets viewers click to deblur a small area. We compare these methodologies using a common analysis framework in order to develop appropriate use cases for each interface. This toolbox and our analyses provide a blueprint for how to gather attention data at scale without an eye tracker.
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Submitted 13 January, 2020;
originally announced January 2020.
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Are all the frames equally important?
Authors:
Oleksii Sidorov,
Marius Pedersen,
Nam Wook Kim,
Sumit Shekhar
Abstract:
In this work, we address the problem of measuring and predicting temporal video saliency - a metric which defines the importance of a video frame for human attention. Unlike the conventional spatial saliency which defines the location of the salient regions within a frame (as it is done for still images), temporal saliency considers importance of a frame as a whole and may not exist apart from con…
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In this work, we address the problem of measuring and predicting temporal video saliency - a metric which defines the importance of a video frame for human attention. Unlike the conventional spatial saliency which defines the location of the salient regions within a frame (as it is done for still images), temporal saliency considers importance of a frame as a whole and may not exist apart from context. The proposed interface is an interactive cursor-based algorithm for collecting experimental data about temporal saliency. We collect the first human responses and perform their analysis. As a result, we show that qualitatively, the produced scores have very explicit meaning of the semantic changes in a frame, while quantitatively being highly correlated between all the observers. Apart from that, we show that the proposed tool can simultaneously collect fixations similar to the ones produced by eye-tracker in a more affordable way. Further, this approach may be used for creation of first temporal saliency datasets which will allow training computational predictive algorithms. The proposed interface does not rely on any special equipment, which allows to run it remotely and cover a wide audience.
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Submitted 12 February, 2020; v1 submitted 20 May, 2019;
originally announced May 2019.
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Learning Visual Importance for Graphic Designs and Data Visualizations
Authors:
Zoya Bylinskii,
Nam Wook Kim,
Peter O'Donovan,
Sami Alsheikh,
Spandan Madan,
Hanspeter Pfister,
Fredo Durand,
Bryan Russell,
Aaron Hertzmann
Abstract:
Knowing where people look and click on visual designs can provide clues about how the designs are perceived, and where the most important or relevant content lies. The most important content of a visual design can be used for effective summarization or to facilitate retrieval from a database. We present automated models that predict the relative importance of different elements in data visualizati…
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Knowing where people look and click on visual designs can provide clues about how the designs are perceived, and where the most important or relevant content lies. The most important content of a visual design can be used for effective summarization or to facilitate retrieval from a database. We present automated models that predict the relative importance of different elements in data visualizations and graphic designs. Our models are neural networks trained on human clicks and importance annotations on hundreds of designs. We collected a new dataset of crowdsourced importance, and analyzed the predictions of our models with respect to ground truth importance and human eye movements. We demonstrate how such predictions of importance can be used for automatic design retargeting and thumbnailing. User studies with hundreds of MTurk participants validate that, with limited post-processing, our importance-driven applications are on par with, or outperform, current state-of-the-art methods, including natural image saliency. We also provide a demonstration of how our importance predictions can be built into interactive design tools to offer immediate feedback during the design process.
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Submitted 8 August, 2017;
originally announced August 2017.
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Creative Community Demystified: A Statistical Overview of Behance
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim
Abstract:
Online communities are changing the ways that creative professionals such as artists and designers share ideas, receive feedback, and find inspiration. While they became increasingly popular, there have been few studies so far. In this paper, we investigate Behance, an online community site for creatives to maintain relationships with others and showcase their works from various fields such as gra…
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Online communities are changing the ways that creative professionals such as artists and designers share ideas, receive feedback, and find inspiration. While they became increasingly popular, there have been few studies so far. In this paper, we investigate Behance, an online community site for creatives to maintain relationships with others and showcase their works from various fields such as graphic design, illustration, photography, and fashion. We take a quantitative approach to study three research questions about the site. What attract followers and appreciation of artworks on Behance? what patterns of activity exist around topics? And, lastly, does color play a role in attracting appreciation? In summary, being male suggests more followers and appreciations, most users focus on a few topics, and grayscale colors mean fewer appreciations. This work serves as a preliminary overview of a creative community that later studies can build on.
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Submitted 2 March, 2017;
originally announced March 2017.
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BubbleView: an interface for crowdsourcing image importance maps and tracking visual attention
Authors:
Nam Wook Kim,
Zoya Bylinskii,
Michelle A. Borkin,
Krzysztof Z. Gajos,
Aude Oliva,
Fredo Durand,
Hanspeter Pfister
Abstract:
In this paper, we present BubbleView, an alternative methodology for eye tracking using discrete mouse clicks to measure which information people consciously choose to examine. BubbleView is a mouse-contingent, moving-window interface in which participants are presented with a series of blurred images and click to reveal "bubbles" - small, circular areas of the image at original resolution, simila…
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In this paper, we present BubbleView, an alternative methodology for eye tracking using discrete mouse clicks to measure which information people consciously choose to examine. BubbleView is a mouse-contingent, moving-window interface in which participants are presented with a series of blurred images and click to reveal "bubbles" - small, circular areas of the image at original resolution, similar to having a confined area of focus like the eye fovea. Across 10 experiments with 28 different parameter combinations, we evaluated BubbleView on a variety of image types: information visualizations, natural images, static webpages, and graphic designs, and compared the clicks to eye fixations collected with eye-trackers in controlled lab settings. We found that BubbleView clicks can both (i) successfully approximate eye fixations on different images, and (ii) be used to rank image and design elements by importance. BubbleView is designed to collect clicks on static images, and works best for defined tasks such as describing the content of an information visualization or measuring image importance. BubbleView data is cleaner and more consistent than related methodologies that use continuous mouse movements. Our analyses validate the use of mouse-contingent, moving-window methodologies as approximating eye fixations for different image and task types.
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Submitted 9 August, 2017; v1 submitted 16 February, 2017;
originally announced February 2017.