Navigating the Data’s Story
While dashboards can be a great vehicle to allow users to uncover their own insights, there may be key findings you want to elevate from the data set for them. In fact, there may be several. In my most recent viz on the unemployment rates in the United States, there were many points that I wanted to highlight. In addition to viewing the overall trend for 2020, I also looked at it by race, gender, and the combination of the two and each of these came with their own callouts. I used a method that would both allow the end-user to change the view between these stratifications while simultaneously revealing a new callout each time. I got a lot of comments about this so I’m going to share three ways to help navigate your audience through the points of your dashboard.
I have used all of these in my public vizzes in the past and will link to those with each method, I will be using Superstore data to demonstrate this so the information is consistent across the three options. The differentiator is how much information you want to show at the same time. I’m going to show them in order of difficulty but I promise you can do it and if you can’t, call me. The options will allow you do to do the following:
Option 1: Show all the information you want to reveal at the same time stacked and toggle the viz (one view on the chart at a time, all accompanying info for all the points)
Option 2: Toggle through the information and the viz individually (one view on the chart at a time, one accompanying point at a time)
Option 3: Toggle through the information stacked and the viz individually (one view on the chart at a time, accumulating points)
What you need before you start
Each method will have the same chart and the same associated parameter.
Before beginning:
Create an integer parameter set to ‘All’ a
Create a calculated field using a case statement that assigns the parameter to either different measure values or measure names* with increasing integers
Build a chart that displays the information you need with the calc included.
After setting this up you should be able to use the parameter to change what’s in the view. Also, every method requires a parameter action with the following specs: run action on ‘Select’, change the value of the integer parameter you created, clearing the selection will ‘Keep current value’, and aggregation: ‘None’.
*Use measure names for a situation such as showing sales by region then sub-category then segment. Use measure values for a situation such as showing sales then profit then quantity over time. I’ll be using this one for the sake of this blog.
Option 1
When I used it: I did a viz highlighting how top-grossing films are largely based on existing intellectual property. I looked at the same split, original and existing stories, by average profit, average earnings, average budget, the total number of films, and total profit.
Why I used it: The points played off of each other and flowed from one to the next; it read together like a story and I wanted all of that information to be available together. Additionally, I didn’t feel like I was ‘spoiling’ anything by having the information available at once even before they toggled to the view.
When I would use another option: If your points don’t go together (or rely on each other to make sense) but it makes sense from a real estate standpoint to utilize one chart and one callout, I would go with option 2.
How to do it: If you set up the starting view then this one should feel rather simple. The only thing we will need to add is the ability to change the parameter in the view. Rather than just include the parameter toggle, we want to make sure we are associating the appropriate chart with the correct point.
Put our first integer (1) on the rows shelf of an empty sheet. You can make a calculated field for this but I usually just go with an adhoc calc as it’s just one number. Set this to a discrete dimension.
Format as desired (likely, unshow header and turn off borders). Choose a shape that will serve as the ‘button’ for your view change. I usually go with circles for this method but pick whatever makes your heart pitter-patter. Tooltips and color are optional. I like to add something to the tooltip that will let the user know that clicking this will change the view. I also add to the colors mark [Your Integer Parameter] = the integer on the sheet. This will color the mark to let the user know it’s the point they are on.
Repeat the above two steps for the number of views you have with each integer on a new sheet.
Place your chart from the start on a dashboard. Add your points and put the corresponding buttons next to them.
Set up parameter actions (Dashbaord>Actions>Add Action>Change Parameter) with the above specifications. This will change the parameter you set up earlier to the value you put on the rows shelf in step 1.
Repeat step 5 for as many views as you have.
And that’s it. At this point you should have a chart, all your points, and all the buttons visible on the dashboard and clicking through should change the chart to correspond with the point.
Option 2
When I used it: I did a viz showcasing 50 songs I love. I had a view to look to showcase the album cover, the name of the song, and the artist.
Why I used it: I wanted the user to be able to scroll through the songs similar to how they would experience playing music digitally. The buttons allow you to move forwards or backward through songs which changes the corresponding album cover and song information.
When I would use another option: If context from previous points makes future points make more sense then I would go with option 1 or 3. But this option would be great for wanting to look at one view in multiple ways where the trends you’re calling out aren’t entirely related.
How to do it: This method has a lot of applications so it’s a great one to have in your tool belt.
Set up a case statement associating your points with the appropriate integers. This will be almost identical to what you’re using to change your view.
Put this as text on a sheet and add that to a dashboard with the starter chart. If set up properly you will only be seeing one point.
Now create the following calculations:
Calc meaning: if the view I’m on is not my last view, add one. If it is my last view, then go to one. This will move forward by one in the points until it reaches the end, then it will go back to the top.
Calc meaning: if the view I’m on is not my first view, subtract one. If it is my first view, then go to the last view available. This will move backward by one in the points until it reaches the top, then it will go to the end.
Add them both to separate sheets on rows as discrete dimensions. Change the mark type to shape choose whatever makes sense for your viz. I chose up/down arrows for this but left/right arrows work or +/- or even text that says ‘Next’ and ‘Last’ if you’d like.
Insert formatting here. I unshow headers, take off borders, change to the same color, and add tooltips.
Add both sheets to your dashboard in whatever orientation makes sense for your viz. Since I’m using up/down arrows I placed them above and below the point we already placed in our viz.
Set up parameter actions (Dashbaord>Actions>Add Action>Change Parameter) with the above specifications. Do this for both the forward and back buttons.
There you go. At this point, you should have a chart, the associated point, and buttons to change the point and the chart.
Option 3
When I used it: As I mentioned at the top of the blog I used it with my viz on unemployment rates to walk through the trend over the past year across all adults, by race, by gender, and by the combination.
Why I used it: This method is a combination of the prior two. The reason I used it instead of option 1 is that the information felt sensitive and important and I really wanted the user to experience it one at a time where the first method exposes the viewer to all the information at once. The reason I used it instead of option 2 is that I felt like it was important to keep in mind the other pieces as the person progressed through the viz.
When I would use another option: Similar to my reasoning for option 1, the information you’re providing on a point-by-point basis might not be closely related enough for it to make sense to have it shown together
How to do it: This is it. We’re leveling up. This is that point in the video game where the character runs into something and gets bigger.
Put all your points as text on separate sheets
Create a boolean (true/false but make it sound fancy) calculation for each of your views with the following: [Your Integer Parameter] >= view number. This will be used to check whether or not we’re either on or past that view.
Set the calcs from step 2 on the filter shelf for the sheets from step 1 and set to True. Place all these sheets (preferably stacked) on a dashboard with your starter chart. I recommend playing around with the parameter at this point to make sure when you’re on a view you can see all of the points before it but none after.
Write the following calc. Do this for every view greater than one (so if you have 4 views you’ll make 3 of these). Each time increase the values by 1.
This is going to help us move to a view while also allowing us to move back if needed by changing the parameter to this view if we aren’t on it already and if we are, change it to the prior one.
Add all the calculations from the prior step onto the rows shelf of separate sheets as discrete dimensions.
OPTIONAL: If you put your true/false calcs from step 2 on shape you can specify one shape for when the point is showing (True) and another when the viewer hasn’t gotten to that point yet (False). I did this with a right and down arrow. However, this can be one uniform shape for both instances.
Add the sheets from step 5 to your dashboard between the points. Ex. you’ll place the toggle that will show point 2 between points 1 and 2.
Set up parameter actions (Dashbaord>Actions>Add Action>Change Parameter) with the above specifications. Do this for all the sheets you created in step 5. At this point, these buttons should move forward and backward through the view.
This is the sheet for the button to toggle the third point. All calcs used are written in the caption.
The last step will be done so that you aren’t showing buttons for several steps ahead (i.e., you don’t want to show the button to toggle point 5 if the user is only on point 2). This won’t require a new calc. What we’re going to do is use the calcs from the second step BUT for the prior point. For example, on your sheet that has a button to show Point 3 would use the calculation written to show or hide Point 2 ([Your Integer Parameter] >= 2). We’re doing this because we need the button to show when we’re viewing the prior point in order to get the next point.
And after that, you should have a viz that moves forward through a view with an additional button and point each time while also allowing the user to go back.
That’s all she wrote! I hope one of these methods helps you guide your viewers through your data story. Feel free to reach out with any questions. Can’t wait to see what you guys make
