During this session I explored the use of different ways we employ data visualization in our products and find out where we fall short in integrating their usage to bring about additional depth and value to our products.

1. GoBeyondTheData.com
Cape Town Data Viz – Jan. 17, 2019
The good, bad, and ugly of data
visualization in products
Dave Mathias
Beyond the Data | @DaveMathias | @GoBeyondtheData

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We all have a lens…my lens
• Used to be…
• Now…
* No I never actually did make meth but also no longer an organic chemist
Sources: catch sources of images on acknowledgements page
*

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Where data visualization plays
a role in product and how?
Communicating with executives Understanding marketing effortsEmpowering sales
Making a better product
Understanding customers
Sources: catch sources of images on acknowledgements page

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But, before we start…successful data viz is more than just charts & graphs
User
experience
Gamification
Behavioral
science
Data viz Apply concepts from behavioral
science, user experience,
gamification, and others when
creating data visualization

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Data viz tips for product…start with the basics

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Data viz tips for product…what is user value?
Source: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3oy6us

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Data viz tips for product…how does it play in overall experience?
Source: http://blog.uxeria.com/en/top-50-ux-design-memes-on-the-internet/

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Data viz tips for product…don’t do too much
Source: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3oy6us

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Data viz tips for product…play to novice and nerd
Source: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35ti4d Source: https://memegenerator.net/instance/63874167/futurama-
fry-not-sure-if-nerd-or-super-nerd

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Data viz tips for product…sometimes explore, sometimes inform
Source: https://memegenerator.net/instance/27253979/noob-
explorer-dora-lets-go-explore
Source: https://makeameme.org/meme/sorry-to-inform-5b33bd

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Data viz tips for product…use color carefully
Source: https://me.me/i/when-she-tells-you-to-wear-her-favorite-color-meme-2184230

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Data viz tips for product…don’t be afraid to experiment
Source: https://makeameme.org/meme/experiment-gone-wrong-2dzxxn

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Data viz tips for product…track usage and iterate
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/2rcpyh/after_spending_vacation_at_the_cabin_with_no_wifi/

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Product critique time…identify the good, bad, and ugly

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Audible app - badge collection…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Good use of color and icons in badges and
introducing FOMO
Opportunities:
• Let me know which badges close
• Let me sort badges
• Provide nudges when close to badges

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Audible app - title stats…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Clean and easy to understand
Opportunities:
• Doesn’t provide much value
• Does this encourage me to buy more
books?
• Does this make me feel better about
myself?
• Does this help mold my behavior?

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Love Cape Town app…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Solid icons
Opportunities:
• Hard to filter map
• Limited info on items

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Mint app…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Good job of giving
representation of credit
• Good budget representation
Opportunities:
• Label all data viz more
consistently
• Provide more textual
reinforcement

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Sleep Number in-store app…good, bad, ugly?
Source: https://www.sleepnumber.com/
Good:
• Empowers sales with
explainable technology
• Simple understandable data viz
• Translates back to a single
sleep number
Opportunities:
• Printout for takeaway for
customer

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Eventbrite Organizer app…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Low cognitive overload
• Good use of size
• Shows percentages and actuals
Opportunities:
• Help provide me more data based on
data EB has – when should I expect to sell
tickets and how many?

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Fitbit app - main dashboard…good, bad, ugly?
• Good:
• Easy to comprehend
• Simple and clear color
• Icons the indicate topic
• Customizable widgets
• Opportunities:
• Rotation in top card doesn’t rotate
card below

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Fitbit app - sleep section…good, bad, ugly?
• Good:
• Covers novice and nerd audience well
• Weekly averages
• Multiple indicators to goal
• Provides sleep insights
• Bad:
• Lack of insights on sleep cycle

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Canary app…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Good clean data visualization with current data on top
Opportunities:
• Color not differentiated enough – text hard to see
• How do I compare against neighbors?
• Where am I historically?
• How can I save energy and what is value?

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Ring app…good, bad, ugly?
Good:
• Good clean data visualization with current data on top
Opportunities:
• Most of data viz goes towards fear and opportunity to
provide value around energy or home usage
• Put more perspective compared to other neighborhoods
• Put perspective historically for crime

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Elastic Kibana app…good, bad, ugly?
Source: https://twitter.com/tbragin/status/795065898675539968
Good:
• Clear metrics cards
• Good use of a colored
bubble chart
Opportunities:
• Use line chart instead of
bar chart for time series
• Data heavy dual rings
without labeling
• Pie charts not labeled with
% and labels cut off
• Opportunity to use tooltips
more

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Data Pine app…good, bad, ugly?
Source: https://www.datapine.com/google-analytics-connector
Good:
• Clear cards at top of dashboard (good icons!)
• Good use of color
Opportunities:
• Lots of stuff, but maybe that is alright

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Customer Journey map… good, bad, ugly?
Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/533746993331820271/?lp=true
Good:
• Good swim lanes
• Good use of color
Opportunities:
• Drill down to individuals
• Indication of level of depth and risk in step

28. GoBeyondTheData.com
Data viz tips for product recap
• What is user value?
• How does data viz play in overall experience?
• Don’t do too much
• Play to novice and nerd
• Sometimes explore, sometimes inform
• Use colorful carefully
• Don’t be afraid to experiment
• Track usage and iterate

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Things worth checking out?
• Online: Lots of great YouTube videos, try Makeover Monday weekly to
hone skills, or look at sights like Information is Beautiful.
• Books: Big Book of Dashboards; Storytelling with Data; Data
Visualization Made Simple
• Podcasts: Storytelling with Data, Data Able (shameless plug)

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Contact or follow me at:
o dave@gobeyondthedata.com | @DaveMathias | @GoBeyondtheData
o linkedin.com/in/davemathias1 | about.me/davemathias
o Check out Data Able podcast
Source: https://memegenerator.net/instance/55474775/fist-pump-baby-you-rock

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Acknowledgements
• “My lens” page
o https://memegenerator.net/instance/31675024/breaking-fuck-it-im-making-meth
o https://imgur.com/gallery/JDFAH
o https://www.technmarketing.com/tech/nolaptop/
o https://medium.com/marketing-and-entrepreneurship/35-of-the-best-memes-on-the-internet-for-
entrepreneurs-8ffe8f551096
o https://stonup.com/en/community-meme-2/
• “Where data visualization plays a role in product and how?” page
o Pixabay or self created
• Other images not sourced are screen shots of apps by Dave Mathias from personal app collection