Conversations in Space: Non-Linear LLM Interaction in Everyday Use

Abstract

As LLM conversations grow, their histories capture alternative directions, decisions, and evolving lines of thought that can be difficult to navigate through chat alone. We investigate an interaction concept that represents the same conversation through two synchronized views: a familiar linear chat for ongoing dialogue and a spatial canvas for navigating its emerging structure. To investigate this interaction concept, we developed CanvasConvo, which allows conversations to branch into alternative paths that remain accessible across both views. In a five-day field deployment with 24 participants, we examined how people appropriated this parallel representation in self-directed knowledge work. Participants selectively moved between the two views rather than replacing chat with the canvas. Chat remained central to conversational interaction, while the canvas supported overview, revisitation, and exploration of alternatives. Adoption was uneven, revealing challenges around established chat habits, transitions between representations, and understanding branch context. Our findings inform the design of user interfaces for LLMs that combine linear and non-linear conversation representations.