An electronic device displays a chart in accordance with contents of a plurality of shelf regions of a data visualization interface. The chart includes visual marks representing a set of data. The electronic device generates a visual analytic object by applying a first analytic operation to the set of data represented by the visual marks, and displays the visual analytic object superimposed over the chart. The device detects user input to select the displayed visual analytic object and place an icon representing the visual analytic object onto a first shelf region of the plurality of shelf regions. In response to the user input, the electronic device updates content of the first shelf region to include an association with the first analytic operation corresponding to the visual analytic object.