Script&Shift: A Layered Interface Paradigm for Integrating Content Development and Rhetorical Strategy with LLM Writing Assistants

1Georgia Institute of Technology, 2Stanford University
Script&Shift Teaser

Script&Shift supports diverse writing strategies with LLMs using layered affordances

Some Features of Script&Shift

Abstract

Good writing is a dynamic process of knowledge transformation, where writers refine and evolve ideas through planning, translating, and reviewing. Generative AI-powered writing tools can enhance this process but may also disrupt the natural flow of writing, such as when using LLMs for complex tasks like restructuring content across different sections or creating smooth transitions.

We introduce Script&Shift, a layered interface paradigm designed to minimize these disruptions by aligning writing intents with LLM capabilities to support diverse content development and rhetorical strategies. By bridging envisioning, semantic, and articulatory distances, Script&Shif's interactions allow writers to leverage LLMs for various content development tasks (scripting) and experiment with diverse organization strategies while tailoring their writing

Video

Updates

We are going to AIED 2025! April 2nd, 2025
Our emperical findings showcasing the potential of Script&Shift in educational settings for knowledge transformation was accepted for AIED 2025! Check out the paper here!
🏆 Best Paper Honorable Mention at CHI 2025! March 27th, 2025
We are honored to receive the Best Paper Honorable Mention at CHI 2025!
We are going to CHI 2025! January 16th, 2025
We will be presenting our work at CHI 2025! Check out the program page here!

BibTeX

@inproceedings{10.1145/3706598.3714119,
      author = {Siddiqui, Momin N and Pea, Roy D and Subramonyam, Hari},
      title = {Script&Shift: A Layered Interface Paradigm for Integrating Content Development and Rhetorical Strategy with LLM Writing Assistants},
      year = {2025},
      isbn = {9798400713941},
      publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
      address = {New York, NY, USA},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3706598.3714119},
      doi = {10.1145/3706598.3714119},
      abstract = {Good writing is a dynamic process of knowledge transformation, where writers refine and evolve ideas through planning, translating, and reviewing. Generative AI-powered writing tools can enhance this process but may also disrupt the natural flow of writing, such as when using LLMs for complex tasks like restructuring content across different sections or creating smooth transitions. We introduce Script&Shift, a layered interface paradigm designed to minimize these disruptions by aligning writing intents with LLM capabilities to support diverse content development and rhetorical strategies. By bridging envisioning, semantic, and articulatory distances, Script&Shift's interactions allow writers to leverage LLMs for various content development tasks (scripting) and experiment with diverse organization strategies while tailoring their writing for different audiences (shifting). This approach preserves creative control while encouraging divergent and iterative writing. Our evaluation shows that Script&Shift enables writers to creatively and efficiently incorporate LLMs while preserving a natural flow of composition.},
      booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2025 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
      articleno = {532},
      numpages = {19},
      keywords = {Human-AI collaborative writing, large language models, writing assistants, creativity support},
      location = {
      },
      series = {CHI '25}
      }

Collaborators

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