4. Area charts: Area charts can be considered a subset of the line chart,
6.7 ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
In the previous sections, we discussed the use of various metaphors and icons to display information in dashboards. Designing a perfect dashboard may be impossible. An image that works well for one dashboard may be inappropriate for another. Also, there are both advantages and disadvan- tages to all images and colors. My belief is that, if the image works and provides the necessary and correct information for the stakeholder and the stakeholders understands the image, continue using it.
There are several rules that can be used for dashboard designs.
In-depth explanations of each of these can be found on the Internet. As an example:
◾ Rules for selecting the right artwork: Selecting the right image is critical.
As an example, gauges cannot show trends. Options for images include:
◾ Gauges
◾ Thermometers
◾ Traffic lights
◾ Area charts
◾ Bar charts
◾ Stacked charts
◾ Bubble charts
◾ Clustered charts
◾ Performance trends
◾ Performance variances
◾ Histograms
◾ Pie charts
◾ Rectangles with quadrants
◾ Alert buttons
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◾ Cylinders
◾ Composites
◾ Rules for positioning the artwork: There must be a speed of perception.
Also, the upper left (or upper right, based on the designer’s preference) is usually considered to be more important than the lower-right corner.
◾ Rules for visualization: The image and information should be easy to read and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
◾ Rules for accuracy of the information: The image must provide rea- sonably accurate information for informed decision making without requiring an interpretation by the viewer. However, some stakeholders are more interested in trends than absolute performance.
◾ Rules for color selection: Factors that must be considered include:
◾ Colors
◾ Positioning of the colors
◾ Brightness
◾ Orientation
◾ Saturation
◾ Size
◾ Texture
◾ Shape
As mentioned before, perfection in dashboard design may not be pos- sible. Even the simplest designs can have possible flaws for the viewer. As an example, consider the following area charts:9
◾ Traditional area chart (Figure 6-6): This displays the trend over time or categories.
◾ Stacked area chart (Figure 6-7): This displays the trend of the contribu- tion of each value over time or categories.
◾ 100% stacked area chart (Figure 6-8): This displays the trend of the per- centage each value contributes over time or categories.
These charts are good for looking at trends. Some stakeholders may be interested more in trends than hard numbers. However, to get a precise value at a specific time period would require detailed measurements from the charts and this would introduce the opportunity for error.
Another commonly used image is the bar chart. As an example, con- sider the following Bar Charts:
◾ Clustered bar chart (Figure 6-9): This compares values across categories.
9. Figures 6-6 through 6-20 were taken from Nils Rasmussen, Claire Y. Chen, and Manish Bansal,Business Dashboards, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons Publishers, 2009, pp. 94–100; Exhibits 14-1 through 14-15. The book has excellent examples of business dashboards, and Appendix E in the book identifies metrics and KPIs for a variety of industries and applications.
Figure 6-6 Area Chart (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-8 Area Chart, 100% Stacked (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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◾ Stacked bar chart (Figure 6-10): This compares the contribution of each value to a total across categories.
◾ 100% stacked bar chart (Figure 6-11): This compares the percentage each value contributes to a value across categories.
Figure 6-10 Bar Chart, Stacked (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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In these figures, viewers can be distracted if part of the bar appears in the same color as the background of the image. Also, in the stacked bar charts, getting the exact value of Series B and Series C may require measure- ment that can lead to error.
Bubble charts, as shown in Figure 6-12, are more appropriate to busi- ness dashboards than project dashboards. The chart compares three sets of values, similarly to line charts, but with a third value displayed as the size of the bubble marker.
Column charts are similar to bar charts. As an example, consider the following three column charts:
◾ Clustered column chart (Figure 6-13): This compares values across categories.
◾ Stacked column chart (Figure 6-14): This compares the contribution of each value to a total across categories.
◾ 100% stacked column chart(Figure 6-15): This chart compares the per- centage each value contributes to a value across categories.
Some form of column chart appears in almost all dashboards. However, care must be taken in the selection of the colors. In Figures 6-13 and 6-14, the shades of the colors on the columns may create a visual problem. The shades in Figure 6-15 are easier to read, provided that the individual is not color blind.
Gauges are used to show a single value. Typically, gauges, such as those shown in Figure 6-16, will also use colors to indicate whether the value that is displayed is “good,” “acceptable,” or “bad.”
Figure 6-12 Bubble Chart (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-13 Column Chart, Clustered (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-14 Column Chart, Stacked (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-15 Column Chart, 100% Stacked (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-16 Gauges(Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Icons can be found in a variety of shapes. Most popular are traffic lights (oval circles) or arrows used in conjunction with dashboards or scorecards to visualize and highlight variances. This is shown in Figure 6-17. Colors like green, yellow, and red are used to indicate values as “good,” “accept- able,” and “bad.” The color “green” can have more than one meaning. For example, in some icons, green may indicate that a change is need rather than no change is necessary.
Line charts are also images that can be used to show trends. However, no more than three or four lines should appear on a chart. Examples of line charts are:
◾ Traditional line chart (Figure 6-18): This displays trends over time or categories.
◾ Stacked line chart (Figure 6-19): This displays the trend of the contribu- tion of each value over time or categories.
◾ 100% stacked line chart (Figure 6-20): This displays the trend of the percentage each value contributes over time or categories.
Perhaps the most important word in dashboard design is simplicity.
Colorful graphics, intricate designs, and three-dimensional (3-D) artwork can distract the viewer from the more critical information. Figure 6-21 shows primary and secondary stakeholders. When you first look at the figure, you Figure 6-17 Icons(Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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6.7 ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
Figure 6-18 Line Chart (Rasmussen/Business Dashboards, Wiley 2009)
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Figure 6-21 Tiered Stakeholder Identification in 3-D
End User
Project Manager Executive Management
Sponsor
Shareholders
Creditors Suppliers
Employees Media Secondary Stakeholders
Primary Stakeholders
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6.7 ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD
are intrigued by the 3-D effect, which adds nothing to the information you want to convey. Putting the information in a table or line chart would have achieved the same effect and might have been easier to understand. Also, there are no numbers in the figure, so the viewer may not be sure exactly how many stakeholders are in each category.
Figure 6-22 is similar to Figure 6-21 but more complex. When you first look at the figure, your eye focuses on the 3-D effect, then you must read the words over and over again to understand what you are looking at even though numbers are provided. Finally, the milestones that were completed within time and cost could have been all of the work packages that did not have a major impact on the project’s success whereas other milestone may have a significant impact. This problem might be overcome by allowing the viewer to drill down to more depth.
Figure 6-23 illustrates the current breakdown of labor hours on a proj- ect. Figure 6-23 lacks numerical values for each slice of the pie and would be easier to read as a column chart.
Figure 6-24 represents a 3-D pie chart that would be part of a dash- board for the PMO. The chart illustrates the most common reasons why projects have failed in the past. Once again, even though the image looks impressive in 3-D, the information could be presented more clearly in a line chart and with numbers included. In its current format, all of the slices of the pie look like they are the same size. This may not be the case. As a general rule, any embellishments that are not relevant to the data have no place in the chart.
Figure 6-22 Summarized Milestone Reporting
Completed with scope reductions Within time and cost
3%
Completed late and over budget Within time and over budget Late and under budget
8%
62%
10%
17%
A typical example of summarized milestone reporting
Figure 6-23 Breakdown of Labor Hours
Engineering Manufacturing Quality
Project Management
Figure 6-24 Causes of Failure
Unwillingness to
Cancel Projects Refuse to Accept Approach
Focus on Short- Term Thinking Too Heavy Focus on
the Triple Constraint No PMO
Involvement
Figure 6-25 shows the total cost breakdown for four work packages.
Although the chart looks impressive, there is no background grid with which the viewer can make assessments. Also, the use of red or shades of red might lead the viewer to believe that the labor dollars are excessive or a problem area.
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Figure 6-26 shows the cost overrun data for four work packages. In this case, there is a grid, but it difficult to determine the overrun magnitude of labor and procurement. Also, for Work Package 4, should we use the front or back side of the 3-D bar? If we use the front side of the bar, the cost overrun is 11 percent, whereas the back side of the bar illustrates a 12 percent overrun.
Figure 6-25 Total Cost Breakdown per Work Package
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Figure 6-26 Cost Overrun Data
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Labor Hours Labor $$
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Work Package 3
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Figure 6-27 shows the cumulative month-end CPI and SPI data. On the grid, the parity line at 1.0 should probably be highlighted to show the nearness to the targeted value. Also there should be more grid lines so that meaning numbers can be determined.
There are advantages to using 3-D column charts. However, inserting too much into the charts can make them difficult to use. Figure 6-28 illus- trates the complexity in making exact value determinations for Series 1 and Series 2. Also, it might be better to use neutral or standard colors rather than colors designed to emphasize a special situation. Figure 6-29 shows typical neutral colors.
Another common mistake is in the use of textures and gradients, as shown in Figure 6-30. While there are benefits to this in conducting presen- tations, they may not be appropriate for dashboards.
Figure 6-31 shows a column chart with bright colors. The purpose of bright colors is to emphasize a good or bad situation. If all of the colors are bright, as in Figure 6-31, the viewer may not know what is or is not important.
When using a column chart, standard colors should be used and the shading should go from lightest to darkest for easy comparison, as shown in Figure 6-32. Also, creating shadows or exotic colors behind the columns
Figure 6-27 Cumulative Monthend CPI and SPI Data
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Figure 6-28 3-D Column Chart
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Figure 6-29 Possible Colors
Standard Colors Emphasis Colors
can be distracting and should be avoided because the shadows contain no information or data.
Background colors or shading can play tricks on the eye. For example, in Figure 6-33, the inner squares are all the same size, yet some people per- ceive the inner square that is on the right side to be larger than the other squares.
Figure 6-30 Column Chart with Gradients
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Category 2 Category 3
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Figure 6-31 Column Chart Using Bright Colors
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Figure 6-32 Column Chart Using Shading
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Figure 6-33 Background Colors with Shading
Another example appears in Figure 6-34. The outer circles represent the total cost of a work package, in dollars, and the inner circle represents the dol- lar value of the labor hours that are part of the total cost. Again, the eye may be deceived because all of the inner circles are the same size. Because some
inner circles consume a larger percentage of the outer circles, some inner cir- cles appear larger.
Radar charts, as seen in Figure 6-35 are usually avoided because they are often hard to read, even for people that use them frequently. The infor- mation in a radar chart can be displayed in a column or bar chart. However, there are situations where radar charts can be quite effective.
Figure 6-34 Concentric Circle Charts
Figure 6-35 Radar Chart
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We have emphasized in this chapter that we should place on the dash- board the least amount of metrics that can be used for informed decision making. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes, the viewer must have the option to drill down to additional levels for clarification. For example, in Figure 6-36, the column on the left represents buttons. When the button is illuminated in red, the metrics on the screen are for Work Package #1 only. The viewer has the option of depressing any of the buttons.
Based upon the amount of depth in the information needed by the stakeholders, some dashboards must be designed for in-depth levels of detail. This becomes a costly effort if each stakeholder requires a different level of detail.
Figure 6-36 Dashboard with Buttons for Drilling
WP #1
WP #2
WP#3
WP#4
WP #5
WP #6
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2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Engineering Manufacturing Quality Project Management
Figure 6-37 is an attempt to show the cost and schedule variances as the project progresses. The chart is good if used just to see the trends in the variances. If actual numbers are required for decision making, however, then the data should be represented in a table.
Some charts are more appropriate when illustrated as a log-log plot or semi-log plot. Figure 6-38 shows a typical learning curve that would be
Figure 6-37 EVMS Status Reporting
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Figure 6-38 Learning Curve on a Log-Log Plot
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