# Narvis: Authoring Narrative Slideshows for Introducing Data Visualization Designs

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.05609 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.05609/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 12 Jul 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Feature-Action Design Patterns for Storytelling Visualizations with Time Series Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.03116/) (2024)
- [Beyond Chat and Clicks: GUI Agents for In-Situ Assistance via Live Interface Transformation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.14668/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Visual designs can be complex in modern data visualization systems, which poses special challenges for explaining them to the non-experts. However, few if any presentation tools are tailored for this purpose. In this study, we present Narvis, a slideshow authoring tool designed for introducing data visualizations to non-experts. Narvis targets two types of end-users: teachers, experts in data visualization who produce tutorials for explaining a data visualization, and students, non-experts who try to understand visualization designs through tutorials. We present an analysis of requirements through close discussions with the two types of end-users. The resulting considerations guide the design and implementation of Narvis. Additionally, to help teachers better organize their introduction slideshows, we specify a data visualization as a hierarchical combination of components, which are automatically detected and extracted by Narvis. The teachers craft an introduction slideshow through first organizing these components, and then explaining them sequentially. A series of templates are provided for adding annotations and animations to improve efficiency during the authoring process. We evaluate Narvis through a qualitative analysis of the authoring experience, and a preliminary evaluation of the generated slideshows.