Papers

Research on language and intent, visualization and sensemaking, and human-AI collaboration.

2026

Not Always Top-Left: Untangling the Signals that Guide Dashboard Reading Order

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Nicole Sultanum, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Lexara-RF: Reference-Free Metrics for Evaluating Conversational Visual Analytics

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Srishti Palani, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Ptolemy: A Semantic Map of Exploratory Data Analysis

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Dylan Wootton, Dennis Bromley, Vidya Setlur

ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST)

From 'Here' to 'There': Exploring Proximity Semantics in Multimodal Data Exploration

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Dennis Bromley, Diana Wang, Vidya Setlur

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

“I Need to Find That One Chart”: How DataWorkers Navigate, Summarize and Communicate Analytical Conversations

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Ken Gu, Srishti Palani, Vidya Setlur

ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

Lexara: A User-Centered Toolkit for Evaluating Large Language Models for Conversational Visual Analytics

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Srishti Palani, Vidya Setlur

ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)

2025

DataWeaver: Authoring Data-driven Narratives through Bidirectional Visualization and Text Composition

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Yu Fu, Denny Bromley, Vidya Setlur

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

Plume: Scaffolding Text Composition in Dashboards

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Maxim Lisnic, Vidya Setlur, Nicole Sultanum

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)

Jupybara: Operationalizing a Design Space for Actionable Data Analysis and Storytelling with LLMs

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Huichen Will Wang, Larry Birnbaum, Vidya Setlur

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

AI-Enabled Conversational Journaling for Advancing Parkinson's Disease Symptom Tracking

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Mashrur Rashik, Shilpa Sweth, Nishtha Agrawal, Saiyyam Kochar, Kara M. Smith, Fateme Rajabiyazdi, Vidya Setlur, Narges Mahyar, Ali Sarvghad

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

Pluto: Authoring Semantically Aligned Text and Charts for Data-Driven Communication

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Arjun Srinivasan, Vidya Setlur, Arvind Satyanarayan

ACM International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI)

2024

From Dashboard Zoo to Census: A Case Study with Tableau Public

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Joanna Purich, Arjun Srinivasan, Michael Correll, Leilani Battle, Vidya Setlur, Anamaria Crisan

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

From Instruction to Insight: Exploring the Semantic and Functional Roles of Text in Interactive Dashboards

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Nicole Sultanum, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

Groot: A System for Editing and Configuring Automated Data Insights

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Sneha Gathani, Anamaria Crisan, Vidya Setlur, Arjun Srinivasan

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

DASH: A Bimodal Data Exploration Tool for Interactive Text and Visualizations

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Dennis Bromley, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

From Delays to Densities: Exploring Data Uncertainty through Speech, Text, and Visualization

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Chase Stokes, Chelsea Sanker, Bridget Cogley, Vidya Setlur

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

Mixing Modes: Active and Passive Integration of Speech, Text, and Visualization for Communicating Data Uncertainty

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Chase Stokes, Chelsea Sanker, Bridget Cogley, Vidya Setlur

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

SlopeSeeker: A Search Tool for Exploring a Dataset of Quantifiable Trends

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Alexander Bendeck, Dennis Bromley, Vidya Setlur

ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI)

2023

Olio: A Semantic Search Interface for Data Repositories

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Vidya Setlur, Andriy Kanyuka, Arjun Srinivasan

ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST)

EmphasisChecker: A Tool for Guiding Chart and Caption Emphasis

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Dae Hyun Kim, S. Choi, J. Kim, Vidya Setlur, Maneesh Agrawala

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

What Is the Difference Between a Mountain and a Molehill? Quantifying Semantic Labeling of Visual Features in Line Charts

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Dennis Bromley, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Heuristics for Supporting Cooperative Dashboard Design

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Vidya Setlur, Michael Correll, Arvind Satyanarayan, Melanie Tory

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

LOKI: Reusing Custom Concepts in Interactive Analytic Workflows

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Vidya Setlur, Andrew Beers

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

BOLT: A Natural Language Interface for Dashboard Authoring

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Arjun Srinivasan, Vidya Setlur

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis)

2022

MEDLEY: Intent-based Recommendations to Support Dashboard Composition

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Aditeya Pandey, Arjun Srinivasan, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

Comparison Conundrum and the Chamber of Visualizations: An Exploration of How Language Influences Visual Design

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Aimen Gaba, Vidya Setlur, Arjun Srinivasan, Jane Hoffswell, Cindy Xiong Bearfield

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Oscar: A Semantic-based Data Binning Approach

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Vidya Setlur, Michael Correll, Sarah Battersby

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Striking a Balance: Reader Takeaways and Preferences when Integrating Text and Charts

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Chase Stokes, Vidya Setlur, Bridget Cogley, Arvind Satyanarayan, Marti Hearst

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Blocks: Creating Rich Tables with Drag-and-Drop Interaction

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Allison Whilden, Dirk Karis, Vidya Setlur, Rodion Degtyar, Jonathan Que, Filippos Lymperopoulos

Eurographics Conference on Visualization (Eurovis) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

How do you Converse with an Analytical Chatbot? Revisiting Gricean Maxims for Designing Analytical Conversational Behavior

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Vidya Setlur, Melanie Tory

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)

2021

Visual Arrangements of Bar Charts Influence Comparisons in Viewer Takeaways

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Cindy Xiong, Vidya Setlur, Benjamin Bach, Kylie Lin, Eunyee Koh, Steven Franconeri

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Semantic Resizing of Charts Through Generalization: A Case Study with Line Charts

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Vidya Setlur, Haeyong Chung

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS) · Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

Snowy: Recommending Utterances for Conversational Visual Analysis

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Arjun Srinivasan, Vidya Setlur

ACM User Interfaces and Software Technology (UIST)

Natto: Rapid Visual Iteration of Analytic Data Models with Intelligent Assistance

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Ana Crisan, Vidya Setlur

KDD 2021 Visualization in Data Science Workshop

Deconstructing Categorization in Visualization Recommendation: A Taxonomy and Comparative Study

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Doris Lee, Vidya Setlur, Melanie Tory, Karrie Karahalios, Aditya Parameswaran

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics (VIS)

Towards Understanding How Readers Integrate Charts and Captions: A Case Study with Line Charts

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Dae Hyun Kim, Vidya Setlur, Maneesh Agrawala

ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI)

2020

Sentifiers: Interpreting Vague Intent Modifiers in Visual Analysis using Word Co-occurrence and Sentiment Analysis

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Vidya Setlur, Arathi Kumar

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

Sneak Pique: Exploring Autocompletion as a Data Discovery Scaffold for Supporting Visual Analysis

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Vidya Setlur, Enamul Hoque, Dae Hyun Kim, Angel X. Chang

ACM User Interfaces and Software Technology

2019

Do What I Mean, Not What I Say! Design Considerations for Supporting Intent and Context in Analytical Conversation

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Melanie Tory, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

Toward Interface Defaults for Vague Modifiers in Natural Language Interfaces for Visual Analysis

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Marti Hearst, Melanie Tory, Vidya Setlur

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

ShoCons: Effective Display of Shortcuts in Icon Toolbars

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Vidya Setlur, Benjamin Watson

International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications

Inferencing Underspecified Natural Language Utterances in Visual Analysis

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Vidya Setlur, Melanie Tory, Alex Djalali

ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces

2017–2014

Applying Pragmatics Principles for Interaction with Visual Analytics

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Enamul Hoque, Vidya Setlur, Melanie Tory, Isaac Dykeman

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

Exploring Synergies between Visual Analytical Flow and Language Pragmatics

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Vidya Setlur, Melanie Tory

AAAI Spring Symposium on Designing the User Experience of Machine Learning Systems

Eviza: A Natural Language Interface for Visual Analysis

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Vidya Setlur, Sarah Battersby, Melanie Tory, Richard Gossweiler, Angel X. Chang

ACM User Interfaces and Software Technology

Redefining a Contribution for Immersive Visualization Research

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Ramik Sadana, Vidya Setlur, John Stasko

ACM Companion on Interactive Surfaces and Spaces

A Linguistic Approach to Categorical Color Assignment for Data Visualization

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Vidya Setlur, Maureen Stone

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

GraphTiles: A Visual Interface Supporting Browsing and Imprecise Mobile Search

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Juhee Bae, Vidya Setlur, Benjamin Watson

ACM Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction

Four Experiments on the Perception of Bar Charts

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Justin Talbot, Vidya Setlur, Anushka Anand

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

Automatic Generation of Semantic Icon Encodings for Visualizations

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Vidya Setlur, Jock Mackinlay

ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (CHI)

2013–2003

Investigating Collaborative Mobile Search Behaviors

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Shahriyar Amini, Vidya Setlur, Zhengxin Xi, Eiji Hayashi, Jason I. Hong

ACM Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction, 2013

DriveSense: Contextual Handling of Large-scale Route Map Data for the Automobile

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Frederik Wiehr, Vidya Setlur, Alark Joshi

IEEE International Conference on Big Data, 2013

Auto(mobile): Mobile Visual Interfaces for the Road

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Frederik Wiehr, Vidya Setlur, Alark Joshi

SIGGRAPH Mobile, 2012

Myngle: Unifying and Filtering Web Content for Unplanned Access Between Multiple Personal Devices

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Timothy Sohn, Frank Chun Yat Li, Agathe Battestini, Vidya Setlur, Koichi Mori, Hiroshi Horii

ACM International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing, 2011

Planning, Apps, and the High-end Smartphone: Exploring the Landscape of Modern Cross-Device Reaccess

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Elizabeth Bales, Timothy Sohn, Vidya Setlur

International Conference on Pervasive Computing, 2011

Wish I Hadn't Clicked That: Context Based Icons for Mobile Web Navigation and Directed Search Tasks

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Vidya Setlur, Samuel Rossoff, Bruce Gooch

ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, 2011

Towards Designing Better Map Interfaces for the Mobile: Experiences from Example

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Vidya Setlur, Cynthia Kao, Peter Mikelsons

International Conference on Computing for Geospatial Research and Application, 2010

Addressing Mobile Information Overload in the Universal Inbox through Lenses

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Timothy Sohn, Vidya Setlur, Koichi Mori, Jofish Kaye, Hiroshi Horii, Agathe Battestini, Rafael Ballagas, Christopher Paretti, Mirjana Spasojevic

ACM Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction, 2010

A Large Scale Study of Text Messaging Use

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Agathe Battestini, Vidya Setlur, Timothy Sohn

ACM Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction, 2010

Let's Play Chinese Characters - Mobile Learning Approaches via Culturally Inspired Group Games

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Feng Tian, Fei Lv, Jingtao Wang, Hongan Wang, Wencan Luo, Matthew Kam, Vidya Setlur, Guozhong Dai, John Canny

ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (CHI), 2010

Using Gestures on Mobile Phones to Create SMS Comics

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Vidya Setlur, Agathe Battestini, Timothy Sohn, Hiroshi Horii

International Conference on Tangible, Embedded and Embodied Interaction, 2010

Visual Summaries of Popular Landmarks from Community Photo Collections

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Wei-Chao Chen, Agathe Battestini, Natasha Gelfand, Vidya Setlur

ACM Multimedia, 2009

Travel Scrapbooks: Creating Rich Visual Travel Narratives

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Vidya Setlur, Agathe Battestini, Xianghua Ding

IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo, 2009

Using Comics as a Visual Metaphor for Enriching SMS Messages with Contextual and Social Media

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Vidya Setlur, Agathe Battestini

ACM Conference on Mobile Human-Computer Interaction, 2009

SemantiLynx: Using Context-Based Icons for Web Navigation and Directed Search Tasks

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Vidya Setlur, Samuel Rossoff, Bruce Gooch

ACM User Interfaces and Software Technology, 2008

Tilt Menu: Using the 3D Orientation Information of Pen Devices to Extend the Selection Capability of Pen-based User Interfaces

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Feng Tian, Lishuang Xu, Hongan Wang, Xiaolong Zhang, Yuanyuan Liu, Vidya Setlur, Guozhong Dai

ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction, 2008

Retargeting Images for Preserving Information Saliency

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Vidya Setlur, Tom Lechner, Marc Nienhaus, Bruce Gooch

IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 2007

The Tilt Cursor: Enhancing Stimulus-Response Compatibility by Providing 3D Orientation Cue of Pen

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Feng Tian, Xiang Ao, Hongan Wang, Vidya Setlur, Guozhong Dai

ACM Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (CHI), 2007

Camera-Based Virtual Environment Interaction on Mobile Devices

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Tolga Capin, Antonio Haro, Vidya Setlur, Stephen Wilkinson

International Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences, 2006

Automatic Stained Glass Rendering

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Vidya Setlur, Stephen Wilkinson

Computer Graphics International, 2006

Automatic Image Retargeting

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Vidya Setlur, Saeko Takagi, Ramesh Raskar, Michael Gleicher, Bruce Gooch

ACM International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, 2005 · 10-Year Impact Award

Retargeting Vector Animation for Small Displays

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Vidya Setlur, Yingqing Xu, Bruce Gooch

ACM International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, 2005

Mobile Camera-based Adaptive Viewing

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Antonio Haro, Koichi Mori, Vidya Setlur, Tolga Capin

ACM International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Multimedia, 2005

Semanticons: Semantic-Based File Icons

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Vidya Setlur, Conrad Albrecht-Buehler, Amy Gooch, Samuel Rossoff, Bruce Gooch

European Association for Computer Graphics, 2004

Is That a Smile? Gaze Dependent Facial Expressions

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Vidya Setlur, Bruce Gooch

International Symposium on Non-photorealistic Animation and Rendering, 2004

Towards a Non-Linear Narrative Construction

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Vidya Setlur, David Ayman Shamma, Kristian Hammond

ACM Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, 2003