Data Visualization &

Dashboard Projects
Quickstart Guide
Introduction
So, you’re launching a data visualization and dashboards project? Not to worry, this
quick guide will help you understand the best ways to visualize your data, plan your
dashboards, & meet your audience’s needs. We’ve based this content on the extensive
experience of Pentaho’s custom UI & visualization design team in collaborating with
customers on a wide variety of projects. Here’s a brief agenda of what we’ll cover:

The items you need to consider before you start

Getting Started & Defining the Project creating analytics – project objectives, core KPIs,
user needs, data readiness, and more

How to identify visualizations that best illustrate differ-

Data Visualization Selection ent types of metrics, plus useful tips for grouping data
by geography, time period, and other categories

Best practices for placing different metrics and visual

Dashboard Layout & Design analytics on a dashboard for effective presentation to
your audience

What to consider as you look to make your dashboard

User Interaction more engaging for users – including dynamic filters,
drilldown capabilities, and more

Getting Started and

Defining the Project
Behind every dashboard project is some type of organiza- sponsors that are driving the business initiative, as well as
tional need – whether it’s as simple as keeping salespeo- working closely with the intended day-to-day users of the
ple up-to-date on weekly performance or as sophisticated dashboards. Determining the KPIs to show (and execut-
as providing physicians with better treatment recommen- ing on the entire project) should be an iterative process
dations via predictive modeling. Addressing these needs where you continuously circle back with those stake-
with concrete measurable objectives provides the neces- holder groups for feedback. As you decide on your first
sary framework for delivering the right information to the set of requirements and begin the design process, you
analytics consumer in the right fashion. If the project goal should schedule regular update discussions with users
is to increase customer service efficiency by at least 10%, & sponsors, continuing these meetings until the final
for example, that specific objective will help shape and project roll-out.
prioritize the type of key performance indicators (KPIs)
that are presented to the service representatives using While we won’t get into detail on all of the project items
the dashboard. that should be addressed, you can use the following
checklist to make sure you are considering everything
But how do you focus in on the correct KPIs to commu- you need to before laying out your visual analytics.
nicate? This requires coordinating with strategic project

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 QUESTION SAMPLE ANSWER

What’s the organizational need you Understand return on investment (ROI) of different marketing campaigns in
are trying to address? order to better allocate budget going forward

Have you agreed on objectives with Yes, the Marketing VP is a driving sponsor and the whole team knows
business/executive sponsors? about the project

Have you met with your potential

I’ve met with the marketing program managers and gathered
dashboard users to understand
requirements, but I still need to meet with our social media and
their needs, preferences and
event marketing coordinators
context?

What are the main data sources Data from a CRM system, marketing automation system, finance
you need to access? databases, and social media accounts

Will you be able to receive updated Yes, this analysis will mostly be on a week-to-week basis, and my
data in the frequency you need it? information will be refreshed at least every day

Is there a measurable goal you want Reduce the average marketing spend per qualified lead by at least 10% in
to achieve? the next year

What are the core KPIs you want Cost per lead, cost per sales opportunity, return on campaign investment –
your users to understand? all broken down by marketing channel

What’s the analytical sophistication Medium sophistication – they will sometimes want to drill own into the
of your audience? granular information behind the dashboard

Is the data integrated, accurate It will be soon – our IT operations team are leveraging a data integration
and clean? solution to cleanse the data and schedule proper data updates

When gathering user requirements, it is important to At the same time, it may help to think of your goal as tell-
understand your audience and their level of data fluency. ing a story with the analytics content, and as such make
Are they executives looking at the big picture or business sure to consider the “what”, “who”, “when”, “where”, and
analysts who will want to filter & customize the data? “why” of your dashboard project. Overall, it’s an exercise
Maybe they are customer-facing employees who really in meeting your users’ needs and creating a good expe-
just want to see a few key operational numbers with sim- rience for them – one that will promote adoption and
ple recommendations on what actions to take next. Your boost usage of the analytic content. Considering multiple
audience could also be external to your organization, in dimensions of your analytics will help with this. As you
which case the dashboard theming, branding, & context start to gather requirements, creating sketches of pos-
may need to fit with existing outward facing applications. sible visualizations & dashboards with your users will help
you begin to determine optimal ways to meet their needs.

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Finally, you’ll want to have your data in order before you QUANTITIES
identify the key metrics to showcase. This means identify- You can think of these as your bread & butter counts or
ing all of the data sources you are using, whether they are measures, such as the number of units sold, time taken to
relational databases, big data stores, or other information complete an examination, or tons of freight carried by a
systems. You also need to ensure that your data can be rail car. Currency, whether Dollars, Euros, Yen or other-
properly integrated and blended together for your project wise, is also an example.
– this includes joining data sets and ensuring metadata
reflects business rules. At the same time, you need to be There are understandably a wide variety of options for
sure that the information is clean, accurate, & available in visualizing basic quantities. Bar or column charts are a
the frequency you need it to be updated (weekly, hourly, good place to start, where each bar represents a quantity
real-time, etc). of something (like units sold) for a specific grouping (like
product lines). If there are a limited number of groupings,

Data Visualization Selection these types of charts provide a visually intuitive way to
compare quantities, as represented by length or height.
In the large majority of dashboard projects, we’ve found Line graphs are also a good choice if the quantities are
that KPIs fall into a handful of core categories, which have tracked over time.
specific implications for visual analytics. As such, we’ve
mapped visualization guidelines and tips to the different
varieties of KPIs, along with examples. Interactions

While this section starts out with the basics, it should help
guide you as you determine which data visuals are right 1,732
for you.

931

Simple bar charts are great if the user needs to

rapidly compare different quantities.

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If you are more interested in the direct relationship
between two different quantities, you will probably want
to use some type of scatter plot visualization. When a
substantial correlation between the variables exists, a
linear pattern will form on the plot. If identifying extreme
data points or outliers that don’t conform to a normal
relationship is important, this could also be a useful way Basic time series graph plotting sales and gross profit over a
to visualize data for your users. month.

These types of charts give users an intuitive feel for

changes over time – i.e. growth rates and decline rates.
When looking at rates of change for a specific measure
over time, it can be useful to simply indicate the rate with
clear text near the appropriate series on the chart. Show-
ing a directional arrow icon (up, down, or flat) may also
provide the user with a clear sense of the change rate.

Scatter plots help show correlation between variables –

Displaying a growth rate and icon next to a KPI – in this case
this example shows the relationship between total
entrants in a race.
store sales (vertical) and sales from a specific promotion
(horizontal). The colors represent different product types.

We will touch on more options for visualizing basic

quantities as we navigate through the other types of
KPIs and groupings below.

TRENDS & CHANGES OVER TIME

Time series data is a deep analytics topic, but the crucial
point for most visuals it that it adds a new dimension to
the analysis, normally where time is displayed on the
horizontal axis of your chart. The more lines or series
you add to a line graph, the more difficult it becomes to
understand and interpret at a glance. So it’s a best prac-
tice to keep it to less than 4 series, else you risk confusing
your users.

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REL ATIVE SHARES AND PROPORTIONS A unique alternative for showing proportions could also
Shares and proportions display a relationship between be a radar chart (also known as a spider or web chart).
the parts and the whole, rather than differences over In this visual, the proximity of the data point to a corner
time. Examples here are shares of an investment indicates the relative importance of that corner, while
portfolio allocated to stocks vs. bonds as well as website several ‘webs’ can be overlaid to illustrate relative results
conversion rates – i.e. the portion of people who opened for different periods or other groupings. Indeed each
an email, clicked it, or didn’t open it. ‘web’ creates a different shape representing a different
scenario to the viewer.
If the primary interest is to display the composition of an
aggregate quantity at one point in time – say the break-
down of the investment portfolio by asset class today –
then a pie chart would make sense, with slices represent-
ing different portions that add to 100%.

Basic pie chart showing proportions of medical patients

who spent time in different types of hospital rooms.

Pie charts on their own, however, do not convey a

tremendous amount of information. If we wanted to
show proportions over time, we would use a stacked
bar or area chart that can be configured to display total
Radar chart captures the relative importance of different
quantities over time broken down by categories in either
customer churn drivers for a telecom company both in
absolute or percentage terms.
2013 and in 2012 in a quickly consumable format.

Area chart comparing the uptake over time for different

software versions following their initial release.

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R ANKED LISTS if they are not relevant to the insight you are trying to
Presenting a ranked list of the highest or lowest items provide. If overlays are important, give users the option
from a data set is a common dashboard approach. to turn them on or off according to their preferences. In
Though not really data visualization, this is a good way to general, you will want to limit the colors, lines, and other
provide the ‘need to know’ information, assuming there is detail in your default map view prior to overlaying your
a way for the user to access greater detail. For instance, a specific KPIs on the map (your metrics are what should
sales management dashboard may include quota attain- stand out!).
ment for the 5 best and worst performing sales repre-
sentatives on the team, with the ability to click through Second, there are different options for coding regions
to a view that shows all sales reps with a wider array of – like states, countries, zip codes, etc. For example, you
metrics for each rep. could fill within borders with colors representing addi-
tional categories or metrics. Alternatively, you could map
specific granular data points and look for clusters and
patterns independent of regional totals.

Finally, a must-have for geo maps is the ability to zoom in

or out to different regions, tracking city vs. state/province
vs. country level aggregates in the process. Your users are
likely used to navigating a service like Google Maps for
their own personal geographical needs – so their stan-
dard for ease of use will be high.

Ranked list of top 10 music tracks by number of streams

over a time period.

GEOGR APHY & LOCATION

As you might expect, in this type of visual you are looking
at data on a map or physical representation of a real loca-
tion, which gives the user a richer information experience
based on known spatial and physical relationships.
Simplified geographic map with no overlays makes it easier to
Location can get fairly complex, but there are a few core see data points.
concepts to remember. First and foremost, don’t be
tempted to include overlays like streets, terrain, or traffic

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DEALING WITH MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS AT ONCE In a heat grid, we can leverage color to convey values or
As you might expect, some of the richest visualizations ‘temperatures’ of data points on a horizontal and verti-
display more than one type of quantity and one type of cal access. This type of visual is more appropriate where
grouping in the same space. However, as the variety of we expect multiple Y axis values for every X axis value,
information you are trying to communicate increases, so and thus makes sense for representing values sliced
does the risk that your users will miss the point. We’ll walk and diced by different general or neutral categories. Put
through two types of multi-dimensional visualizations another way, a heat grid can help where a stacked bar
here – bubble-scatter charts and heat grids. chart might fall short – rather than trying to display val-
ues by size stacked on one another, the size of the data
In a bubble-scatter visualization, the scatter plot dis- points can be left constant with the colors representing
cussed earlier is augmented with one or more additional the value scale. That said, the size of a data point could
dimensions. First would be the size of the data point be added in as another dimension in some situations.
(hence the ‘bubble’) – where the area of the bubble
represents a numeric value associated with that point.
This would be followed by color of the data point, to
represent another factor.

Bubble-scatter chart showing marketing campaigns by value

generated (horizontal) and invested cost (vertical), as well as
duration the campaign ran for (bubble size). Heat grid displaying average revenue per user (color
scheme) across customers, by both geographic market
(vertical) and type of mobile device used (horizontal).

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Dashboard Layout & Design
You could have the best data visualizations in the world, Not surprisingly, you should also follow the general rule
but if they aren’t organized in a logical and orderly fash- of placing the most important information at the top of
ion, your dashboard project will miss the mark. While the screen and to the left, as people start reading in this
not every dashboard should be designed the same way, direction – at least in English-speaking countries. If you are
there are several guiding principals. As you follow these designing for an audience that reads right to left, layout
guidelines, we’d suggest sketching out different possible should be adjusted accordingly. It may be obvious, but
layouts on paper. you should remember that larger visuals and larger text
indicate the relative importance of information as well.
AMOUNT OF CONTENT
You will usually want to include no more than 3-4 actual
charts or graphs for your audience. Any more than that,
and things will quickly get crowded for the user as you You could have the best data
start to add headline metrics, titles, text, and labels. By
visualizations in the world, but
the same token, limiting the actual number of visualiza-
tions will also minimize the amount of scrolling the user if they aren’t organized in a
will have to do. If you must have more visuals, then make
logical and orderly fashion,
the others accessible via a button click or toggle that
replaces the content shown to the user. It is better to your dashboard project will
have contained groups of information presented to the
miss the mark.
user at all times than to try to cram every last data point
into one screen.

WHAT GOES WHERE

A good general pattern to follow in your layout is to have
higher level or ‘headline’ metrics displayed near the top
part of the dashboard – sometimes as simple as a few
core KPIs in large clear font, perhaps with adjacent spark
lines to show trends. Just below should be the data visual-
izations that show overview data like aggregate KPIs over
time. As you move down, more granular visuals should be
included – for example, if overall customer growth rate is
a key metric you highlight near the top of your dashboard,
then a breakdown of new customers by segment or
demographic that displays actual account names
should go further down.

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 This telecom dashboard follows best practices by including simply presented aggregate metrics at the top
and drill-down visuals beneath. Note also that churn rate and average revenue per user appear first from
the left, as they are the most important metrics across the full dashboard.

THEMES & FORMATS Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, a good place
We couldn’t complete our key guidelines on design to start might be to look at your organization’s current
without discussing theming & formatting. In choosing branding for its corporate website and collateral. Follow-
color schemes for your dashboard, it is crucial to select ing color schemes, font types, and other visual elements
a palette with good contrast and balance. For instance, will provide you a good template for the content you are
avoid reds overlapping with blues or dark grays. As you producing.
want to display more and more different groupings in the
same data set (high cardinality), you need to use more Finally, we’d note that text such as titles, labels, & user
colors – and it thus becomes harder to tell two shades instructions should always be present but not in an over-
apart. Ways to deal with this include balancing values for whelming manner. While it makes sense to illustrate the
hue, saturation, & lightness. most important KPIs in large clear text, other types of text
should appear more for reference than anything else.

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User Interaction
While static visualizations & dashboards have their place, Normally, you will want the time selector to drive all
interactive analytics content provides a more engaging relevant metrics and visuals in the dashboard – and if
experience, providing richer informational context and it doesn’t, you will have to clearly explain this to your
increasing user adoption and satisfaction with the tools. users. At the same time, this selector should be placed
We’ll touch on a few key categories below. somewhere near the top-level titles or menus and be
clearly labeled but not obtrusive.
FILTERS & SELEC TORS
Flexibility is key when it comes to filters and selectors. For time series charts, a dynamic period selector that
For instance, when providing a time range selector, can be expanded and contracted by clicking and drag-
you’d want to provide a balanced mix of pre-formatted ging an area of the chart can be an easy way for the
date ranges (i.e. this week, this quarter, full year) and user to adjust the timeframe as they see fit.
a full calendar widget for defining a custom range.

Unobtrusive drop-down selector for time frame with both pre-defined period like ‘last week’ and a small calendar
for ad-hoc date ranges.

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 A period selector on an overview time series chart drives the timing of the KPIs displayed below.

HOVER & DRILL DOWN INTER AC TION

Mouse overs and clicks by users can provide great opportunities for interaction. For instance, when the user hovers over
an item on the dashboard, such as an interactive menu or a data point on a chart, it can be useful to trigger some sort of
highlighting or shading to make that point stand out. At the same time, providing additional information about the data
point can be helpful – this could be as simple as labeling the precise value of a single data point on a line graph when
the user hovers over it. You could also choose to provide tips and hints upon hover as well – for example, indicating that
certain variables can be sorted.

Simple illustration of data point information displayed on hover.

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Allowing users to drill down to more granular underlying information can also be helpful, especially for business ana-
lysts and other more sophisticated data consumers. The crucial thing is to remember that the data & context presented
upon click must be clearly distinct from the original view. This could either be in the form of a ‘pop-out’ window that
displays the drill down information or a zoom-in from the initial view, depending on your requirements. Once the user
has accessed the more granular view, there must be an easy way to return to the original visualization, such as a ‘back’
button.

Finally, users often want to be able to export the dashboard data, most often to Excel, PDF, or CSV format. This is most
often enabled by a button or menu for the task.

GOING FURTHER
We hope this piece has given you some practical tips to enhance the success of your project. As you finalize your designs
and move to implementation, remember that the project doesn’t end with roll-out to your users. Requirements will
continue to change over time and so will your analytics content. As such, it is absolutely critical for you to anticipate the
longer-term requirements of your users and other strategic stakeholders inside and outside the organization. You’ll also
want to make sure that the data & analytics software you use is future-proofed – that it allows you to easily customize
and iterate on both the end user analytics and the types of data you want to incorporate in your dashboards.

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