Emerging Trends in Storytelling: Genre-Based Analysis of Narrative Visualization Through Interactivity and Animation Effects

Since Segel and Heer introduced narrative visualization and identified seven foundational genres, the field has evolved substantially. Existing typologies provide a foundation for understanding narrative genres and strategies, but often overlook technical characteristics, especially interactivity and animation, that have become increasingly central to contemporary practice. Addressing this gap, this study examines how technical and media dimensions shape narrative visualization genres and proposes an expanded typology. Using design space analysis, we systematically analyze contemporary genres in terms of their narrative strategies, technical characteristics, strengths, and limitations. The findings reveal increasing use of animation and lightweight interaction, as well as growing integration between the two. The revised typology provide a new lens for understanding narrative visualization by foregrounding overlooked technical dimensions and offers practical implications for tool development, cross-genre integration, and the design of data storytelling systems.