Effective dashboards are the result of making the right choices based on thoughtful planning. This article helps you decide which components to use to when building Klips for your dashboard data.
Klips are built using components found in our Klip Editor. In this article, we will discuss the following components:
- Table
- Value Pair
- Line Chart
- Bar Chart
- Gauge
- Sparkline
What is the Table component and when should I use it?
Using a Table works best for two-dimensional data you want to organize into columns and rows. On your dashboard, real estate space is precious and tables are a great way to show a lot of data in a small space. Tables are not restricted to text and numerical data; you can also use a table to display graphical content like bullet charts, sparklines, and icons. Set up a table as a heat map or to include drill-down functionality. The Table component is highly flexible!
If you have large amounts of data, a table can become overwhelming. In these cases, use a line chart instead to succinctly communicate the pattern behind the data or, if your audience is interested in the details, use a drop-down menu to enable data segmentation.
See the following example of a Klip that uses the Table component:
What is the Value Pair component and when should I use it?
The Value Pair component includes a primary and a secondary value. The secondary value is used to either provide context for the primary value or for comparison purposes. The Value Pair is ideal for comparing similar, single metrics, each from a different perspective, for example, covering a different time period or including a different target value.
The following example of a Value Pair component compares sales for today to yesterday and includes an indicator to emphasize a sales increase:
What is the Line Chart component and when should I use it?
Line Charts plot values on a series of points on a graph and then connect these points with lines to demonstrate the pattern behind the data. Line charts are ideal for showing data trends and patterns. If the viewer needs a bit more information, enable tooltips.
If you need an in-depth view of the numbers or you want to compare categories of values, consider using a bar chart or pie chart instead.
The example below of the Line Chart component demonstrates how you can plot multiple series to compare two related data sets:
What is the Bar Chart component and when should I use it?
Bar Charts display values as rectangular bars. They’re great for comparing two or more values that are related categorically, for example, you could use a bar chart to display data for France, Norway, and Holland; they are all part of the category of “countries”.
If a category only has a single value associated with it, use a bullet chart or a gauge instead. If the data set tracks values over a set period of time, use a line chart instead.
See the following example of a Klip that uses the Bar Chart component:
What is the Gauge component and when should I use it?
Gauges are great for showing progress toward a goal. Adding colour will help you see whether you are missing or reaching your target. Gauges work best when tracking single metrics that have a clear, immediate objective, for example, for sales or revenue performance.
If you want to track multiple metrics, consider using multiple bullet charts in a table instead.
Here is an example of a Gauge component that uses colour to help indicate progress toward a target:
What is the Sparkline component and when should I use it?
Sparklines are simple line charts that don’t include an axes or legend. They work best when used with a metric that has a current status value that is being tracked over time. Using a Sparkline component (which includes sparklines, spark bars, and win/loss chart types) the viewer can quickly understand current performance within the context of recent historical performance.
Sparklines are used to augment a value or metric by showing the underlying trends. Because sparklines don’t have axes or legends, if you want to elaborate on your trend data by plotting multiple series, you should use a line chart instead.
Here is an example of a Klip that uses the Sparkline component:
