VisConductor: Affect-Varying Widgets for Animated Data Storytelling in Gesture-Aware Augmented Video Presentation

TL;DR

VisConductor is a novel authoring tool that enables presenters to control animated data visualizations through gesture-based widgets in augmented video presentations, enhancing interactivity and engagement.

Contribution

It introduces a flexible widget-based gesture system for controlling affect-varying visualizations in augmented presentations, supporting improvisational and ad-hoc content transformations.

Findings

Facilitates interactive and engaging remote presentations.

Supports dynamic data visualization control through gestures.

Received positive feedback from presenters and audience.

Abstract

Augmented video presentation tools provide a natural way for presenters to interact with their content, resulting in engaging experiences for remote audiences, such as when a presenter uses hand gestures to manipulate and direct attention to visual aids overlaid on their webcam feed. However, authoring and customizing these presentations can be challenging, particularly when presenting dynamic data visualization (i.e., animated charts). To this end, we introduce VisConductor, an authoring and presentation tool that equips presenters with the ability to configure gestures that control affect-varying visualization animation, foreshadow visualization transitions, direct attention to notable data points, and animate the disclosure of annotations. These gestures are integrated into configurable widgets, allowing presenters to trigger content transformations by executing gestures within widget boundaries, with feedback visible only to them. Altogether, our palette of widgets provides a level of flexibility appropriate for improvisational presentations and ad-hoc content transformations, such as when responding to audience engagement. To evaluate VisConductor, we conducted two studies focusing on presenters (N = 11) and audience members (N = 11). Our findings indicate that our approach taken with VisConductor can facilitate interactive and engaging remote presentations with dynamic visual aids. Reflecting on our findings, we also offer insights to inform the future of augmented video presentation tools.