Publication in IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications
Christiane V. R. Hütter and Jörg Menche co-author a new paper on theory-grounded data visualization in Extended Reality.
When we look at data charts on a regular computer screen, developers use standard tools to make them look good. However, we do not have these standard tools for Virtual and Augmented Reality. Because different headsets use completely different software, there is no unified system. As a result, creators usually often copy-paste flat, 2D charts into a 3D virtual space, which does not look too well. This paper introduces the first standardized guidelines and design rules to help creators build proper, 3D data charts specifically for headsets.
While screen-based data visualization relies on mature software libraries and established frameworks (such as ggplot2, matplotlib, or D3.js), 3D visualization in Extended Reality (XR) still lacks standardized equivalents. Due to platform fragmentation across native game engines (Unity, Unreal Engine) and web-based tools (WebXR), current XR visualizations often rely on repurposed 2D desktop metaphors rather than systematically grounded design principles. In a publication in IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications (July/August 2026, Vol. 46, pp. 111–118), an international team of researchers addresses this technical and theoretical gap.
The paper synthesizes key insights from the IEEE VIS panel “TALK, TRY, TELL: Challenges and Opportunities for Theory-Grounded Data Visualization in Extended Reality”. Led by first author Andreas Bueckle and Katy Börner from the Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science (CNS) Center at Indiana University Bloomington, the project brought together experts in network medicine, computer science, and data visualization to evaluate spatial memory, embodied sensemaking, hybrid 2D/3D workflows, and barriers to research adoption.
Contributions from Our Institute:
Researchers from our institute played a key role in this international collaboration. PhD candidate Christiane V. R. Hütter and Institute Director Jörg Menche co-authored the study, with Christiane Hütter focusing on bridging user-centric biomedical data exploration with theory-grounded XR interaction. Drawing from network medicine workflows, her input highlights the need for live-reprogrammable “usability toolboxes” and hybrid environments. Rather than forcing a binary choice between 2D and 3D, her work advocates for functional integration—allowing researchers to manipulate complex, multi-scale network data in shared virtual spaces while maintaining seamless connections to traditional analytical pipelines.
The international team is completed by Vienna-based collaborators Renata G. Raidou and Hannes Kaufmann (TU Wien), Peter Mindek (Nanographics GmbH), as well as Chris Bryan (Arizona State University) and Niklas Elmqvist (Aarhus University).
Publication Details:
Bueckle, A., Hütter, C. V. R., Raidou, R. G., Bryan, C., Mindek, P., Kaufmann, H., Elmqvist, N., Menche, J., & Börner, K. Challenges and Opportunities for Theory-Grounded Data Visualization in Extended Reality. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 46(4), 111–118 (2026).
