Dear VIS Community,
We are excited to announce an important initiative aimed at enhancing how we govern and support the evolution of the VIS conference. In response to the voices and concerns raised by the community, we are launching an experiment: reVISe 1.1.
Why this experiment? Some context.
The current structure of our conference organization and governance is a result of the unique history of the IEEE visualization community. The original IEEE Visualization conference came from researchers active in computer graphics in the 1980s who were developing and applying graphics techniques to spatial datasets. Through the 1990s and 2000s the conference was dominated by research focused on ways to visualize 2D and 3D volumes – what we later termed SciVis. During this period, researchers from HCI and human-factors working with non-spatial data began to engage with the conference through the IEEE InfoVis symposium, a co-located symposium which focused on non-spatial techniques and user evaluation methods. In 2006, the IEEE VAST symposium (visual analytics science and technology) was co-located with the conference, driven by researchers focused on bringing analytics and visualization techniques together.
These three somewhat separate research communities – SciVis, InfoVis, and VAST – came together for the first time as co-equal parallel tracks at the main conference in 2007, with the new multi-community conference going on to be called IEEE Vis Week. Each of the three tracks had their own scientific leadership and research content, with the work of overall conference planning and organizing being done by conference organizers and the VIS Executive Committee (VEC); the conference organization and VEC were filled equally by researchers drawn from the three communities to ensure each track was sufficiently represented. This separate-but-equal organization continued for some years until calls for a more unified conference organization resulted in the original reVISe committee, which over six years worked to bring together SciVis, InfoVis, and VAST into a single community. The V-I-S letters in IEEE VIS are a nod to these 3 original tracks.
The model developed by the reVISe 1.0 committee was implemented in 2020 for the 2021 conference, and remains the current model for IEEE VIS. It includes the area model for papers, the VEC for overseeing conference organization, and the VIS Steering Committee (VSC) for longer term steering. The governance bodies and the OC (organizing committee) roles were largely seeded with triplets of people in order to smooth the transition from 3 communities to 1 by ensuring equal representation in the new model. Our governance model remains top-heavy and relatively large because of its evolution from the three-track model.
We think it is a good time to revisit the governance and organizational model of the conference, to shake off unnecessary historic effects, and develop a more nimble, streamlined, and modern conference governance structure. Hence, reVISe 1.1.
Goals of reVISe 1.1
At a high-level, reVISe 1.1 will focus on two key goals:
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Adapting governance and streamlining structure: We are exploring options that include the possibility of consolidating the current VEC and VSC. This adjustment could help create a more cohesive and efficient governance structure to better support the evolving needs of the VIS community. As part of this effort, we intend to also revisit the structure of the organizing committee to ensure balanced workloads, clear roles and responsibilities, and accountabilities. By streamlining these processes, we hope to empower the many volunteers who make the conference possible.
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Empowering front-line organizers: We are exploring options to delegate more authority to General Chairs and the Organizing Committee in order to create an environment that fosters experimentation, innovation, and trust. We believe in appointing capable organizers and giving them the autonomy to lead.
Next Steps
We are pleased to share that Arvind Satyanarayan will chair the reVISe 1.1 committee. Arvind, along with a dedicated team of community members, will identify tactical, yet progressive changes to help put VIS on a stronger footing in the coming years. The VSC and the VEC will work together with Arvind to select the committee members, who represent a cross-section of the community (including disciplinary backgrounds, geographies, and seniority).
In the spirit of experimentation guiding this process, we have set an ambitious but achievable timeline:
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By May 2025: The committee will aim to finalize its initial proposal, outlining key changes to governance structures and processes. This includes an initial set of recommendations for a framework for empowering organizers. These changes will allow the VSC to begin the process of appointing the VIS 2026 Organizing Committee (OC) in line with the new plan or portions of it.
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By October 2025: The committee will deliver a complete and detailed proposal for the new governance structure, including implementation steps, by-laws and a process for community feedback and iteration. This ensures the VIS 2026 General Chairs (GCs) can work with the new structure as they plan the conference.
Additionally, reVISe 1.1 will prioritize running an inclusive process and is considering a variety of approaches to ensure the VIS community’s feedback is heard and meaningfully incorporated. We aim to acknowledge the contributions of everyone who has played a significant role in shaping all aspects of the conference program over the years. This process will also include making a deliberate effort to recognize the perspectives of students, junior faculty, and early-career researchers, who might not always see themselves reflected in traditional governance discussions. Our goal is to converge on a shared set of priorities and understanding that charts a path forward for the community as a whole.
This initiative reflects our commitment to evolving and adapting as a community, striving to better serve everyone who makes VIS what it is. We are grateful for your ongoing engagement, insights, and support.
Warm regards,
Members of the VSC: Niklas Elmqvist, Jeff Heer, Kwan-Liu Ma, Miriah Meyer, Michael Sedlmair, Jinwook Seo, Vidya Setlur, Anna Vilanova, Xiaoru Yuan
Members of the VEC: Leilani Battle, Anastasia Bezerianos, Rita Borgo, Matthew Brehmer, Gautum Chaudhary, Daniel Keim, Narges Mahyar, Hendrik Strobelt, Brian Summa, Tatiana von Landesberger
Chair of reVISe 1.1: Arvind Satyanarayan