Data visualization templates depict information and assist users to understand the data, by displaying a serious of multiple charts. In the way of viewing and operating the charts, users can analyze the data and finally make the data-driven strategies.
## Design Goals
To help users quickly and clearly understand the meanings of data, analyze trends, and make decisions.
<p>Define the layout logically, prioritize the content in order. In most cases, in order to emphasize the common-used analysis thoughts, you should organize the information from top to bottom and from left to right, or use processive interactions. To sum up, put the summary first, then focus on filters, and finally provide details whenever the user needs.</p>
Make good use of filtering capability, let users observe the overview, and check the detailed data at the same time. Therefore, users can explore quickly whenever they have questions.
In order to help users to make decisions, tile the most critical data from the overall perspective on the whole page. When all of the indicators share similar importance, choose the layout on the left; to emphasize one of them, select the one on the right.
This type of dashboard provides an overview of the data for decision making. Usually there is a central topic, around which presents multi-dimension indicators, helping the users find out abnormal immediately.
Analytics dashboards separate the data-analysis interface into several parts. Usually their layouts are "summary and description" structure, showing overviews of the whole information with different aspects. These dashboards can assist the users to discover the current problems.
Detail templates display the overview and detailed information of a report or a unique indicator. Users can set texts, lists and charts according to their business needs.
- Figure out users’ roles and aims, and choose the categories of template accordingly. Different business roles pay attention to different key data. There are two common-used types of indicators: high-level dashboard data, and detailed information.
- Decision-makers can select templates which describe the results;
- Operators can choose templates which provide more analysis capabilities and detailed information.
- Confirm the priority of the key indicators, and then define the page layouts accordingly. Put the most important data on the most outstanding positions.
- Please remember, you can connect the user interfaces through interactive modes, telling your own stories.
After designing the draft layout, select related visualization charts based on how summarized or detailed the data is. Usually scorecards and ranking lists are used for information summaries, tables and texts express details, and charts are between the two categories.
