dashboard design and data visualization best … design and data visualization best practices...
TRANSCRIPT
Copyright©2016Splunk Inc.
HaiderAl-SeaidyGlobalSalesEngineer,Splunk
DashboardDesignandDataVisualizationBestPractices
Disclaimer
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Duringthecourseofthispresentation,wemaymakeforwardlookingstatementsregardingfutureeventsortheexpectedperformanceofthecompany.Wecautionyouthatsuchstatementsreflectourcurrentexpectationsandestimatesbasedonfactorscurrentlyknowntousandthatactualeventsorresultscoulddiffermaterially.Forimportantfactorsthatmaycauseactualresultstodifferfromthose
containedinourforward-lookingstatements,pleasereviewourfilingswiththeSEC.Theforward-lookingstatementsmadeinthethispresentationarebeingmadeasofthetimeanddateofitslivepresentation.Ifreviewedafteritslivepresentation,thispresentationmaynotcontaincurrentoraccurateinformation.Wedonotassumeanyobligationtoupdateanyforwardlookingstatementswemaymake.Inaddition,anyinformationaboutourroadmapoutlinesourgeneralproductdirectionandissubjecttochangeatanytimewithoutnotice.Itisforinformationalpurposesonlyandshallnot,beincorporatedintoanycontractorothercommitment.Splunkundertakesnoobligationeithertodevelopthefeaturesor
functionalitydescribedortoincludeanysuchfeatureorfunctionalityinafuturerelease.
Agenda
What’smypoint?,Whydoesitmatter?,HowtoachieveitBaddashboardsandvisualizationsexamples6dashboardanddatavisualizationsdesignmistakestoavoid
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What'smypoint?– We’reinanagewhereeverybusinesseventiscaptured,storedandcanbereportedon.– We’reinanageofeasytousedashboardinganddatavisualisationtoolswhereanyonecanbuildandshare
content– Butnotanyonecandothiswell…...– Youshouldpayextraattentiononhowtopresentandvisualiseyourdatatoyouruserstoensureitservesits
intendedpurpose
Whydoespresentingdataintuitivelymatter?– Thevalueofthedataisseverelydiminishedifpresentednon-intuitively.– Confusingpresentationmayresultinusersmisinterpretingthedataandmakingbaddecisions,adversely
affectingyourbusiness– Confusingpresentationmayinhibitadoptionofdatadrivendecisionmaking– Yourcompanywillnotbenefitfromtheinvestmentmadeinthetoolnorfromthevaluehiddeninthedata
How…...
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What,Why,How
Mistake#1– AvoidNotUsingComparisons
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ComparisonValuesandSparkLinesGiveContextandMeaningUse:• Rates• Averages• Percentages• Ratios
andcomparisonvalues:
• ActualThisWeekvs.ActualLastWeek• ActualvsBudget• ActualvsForecast• ActualvsPredicted• Avg.vsAvg.ofthepast30days• %Margin
Mistake#2– AvoidMakingsUsersdotheMath
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Lookstypicalright?Whichmonthswerebelowtarget?Whichmonthswereabovetarget?Andbyhowmuch?
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ShowsActualsShowsGoodandBadmonthsQuantifiesgoodandbadUsesandOverlayanddualYAxis.
Gotheextramiletomakeitgreat
Mistake#2– AvoidMakingsUsersdotheMath
Mistake#3AvoidColorControversy1in12Malesand1in200FemalesareRedGreenColourBlind
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WalesvsPortugalCroatiavsPortugalNormalVision Color Blindness NormalVision Color Blindness
Mistake#3AvoidColorControversyDefineyourpaletteandoverridethedefaults
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ReportName:MySearch
sourcetype=access_combined|eval redCount=if(status>400ANDstatus<600,count,0)|eval greenCount=if(status<400ORstatus>=600,count,0)|sortcountdesc|fields- count
SimpleXML
<chart><searchName>MySearch</searchName><title>HTTPStatusCount</title><optionname="charting.chart.stackMode">stacked</option><optionname="charting.fieldColors">{"redCount":0xFF0000,"greenCount":0x73A550}</option>
</chart>
Mistake#4AvoidSloppyLabelling
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Makeitidiotproof,Imean“selfexplanatory”!• WhatistheunitofmeasureontheYaxis?• Areyouusingalogscale?(Ifso,mentionit)• ArethenumbersshowninK’s,M’sorB’s?• IfCurrency,whichcurrency?• NetRevenueorGrossRevenue?• Howlongistherollingwindowbeingshown?• Howlongdoeseachbarrepresent?
RealTimeGrossRevenue($)last1hourin4minutebuckets
RealTimeRevenue
Mistake#5AvoidBadPerformance
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TooManyObjectsCanCausePerformanceIssues
Considerthefollowingtoboostreduceloadtimes:• Limitthenumberofobjectsonasingle screen• Limitreal-timesearches• Limitthetimewindowforsearches• Specifyfilterstoreducethedata• Lookforlong-runningsearchesandschedulethem• Lookforsearcheseligibleforreportacceleration• Usesummaryindexestoreducethesearchloadofthedashboard• Lookforcommonalitybetweensearches.Whenfound,combineseveralsearchesintoone
andusepost-processing todriveseveralpanelsoffonesearch.http://docs.splunk.com/Documentation/Splunk/6.0.2/AdvancedDev/PostProcess
WaitTime
Mistake#6AvoidBadLayout
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• Researchshowsthatpeoplereaddashboardslikeabook- toplefttobottomright.
• Keymetricsshouldbeatthetopleft
PrimeRealEstate
DashboardFlow
Mistake#6AvoidBadLayout
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• Landscapemodeonamobilewillrequirescrollingtoseecontent
• Areyourkeymetricsatthetop?• Sizestothewidthoftheapp
Orientation
AndFinally
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“Youcannotsayanythingabouthowdashboardsoughttobedesignedwithoutfirstspecifyingthe
purposeofthedisplay”- StephenFew