Databox Visualizations Update 2023

In November 2023, we introduced new dashboard capabilities, made our charts more intuitive, and worked on improving existing visualizations. All with one goal in mind: to give you the flexibility to visualize and explore your data however you want.

With new visualization types and more powerful capabilities, it’s now easier than ever for you to analyze your data faster, compare historic performance, and uncover insights you might’ve missed otherwise.

As part of this update, we transitioned all of your dashboards to the new visualization types. This article will explain what has changed and how you can rebuild your dashboards with the new and improved visualizations. 

IN THIS ARTICLE

• Visualization types that have been migrated
• New Visualization Types 
• Databoard Improvements 

Visualization types that have been migrated

IN THIS SECTION

• Multi-tab Chart
• Compare
• Interval
• Combo Chart

Multi-tab chart

The Multi-tab chart has been migrated to the improved Line/Bar chart.

The new Line/Bar visualization type allows you to add up to 15 metrics on a single chart, which makes it easier to compare and analyze your data at a glance.

On the Multi-tab chart, you were able to display one chart on each tab. After the migration to the Line/Bar chart, you will have multiple lines and bars on the same chart.

You can achieve the same result on the Line/Bar chart by turning off the Metrics or Dimensions from the Legend below the chart to display the single chart that you want to view. Or, you could choose to create separate Line/ Bar charts for each Metric. 

Downsides of Multi-tab charts	Benefits of the migration
Only the first tab of the Multi-tab was exported in Snapshot and Reports	On the Line/Bar charts, all data is exported on Snapshots and Reports.
Only the first tab was visible on TV streams	All data from the Line/Bar charts is visible on the TV stream.
The Master Date Range Switcher did not work correctly with all tabs in the multi-tab chart.	Easier comparison between Metrics and ability to look at different Date Ranges.
You could only display 4 Metrics total in the different Tabs of the Multi-tab chart.	More flexibility and power since you can add up to 15 metrics to each chart.

Replicating your Multi-tab charts with Line/Bar charts 

• Multiple metrics from tabs were migrated to a single block with all those metrics on it.
  We recommend that you turn on the second Y-axis if the scale from the primary does not work for all your metrics.
  • You can turn on the second Y-axis from Additional Settings in the Datablock Editor. Learn more here. 

• If you had a Multi-tab chart where all tabs had different date ranges, only the first Date Range was retained with the migration.

  • If you would like to view different Date Ranges for the Metrics on your charts, it's recommended that you create a separate chart for each Metric and set the Date Ranges appropriately. 

• If you had a Bar chart with dimensions on the x-axis, it was migrated as a normal Bar chart.
  • We recommend that you create a separate Horizontal Bar Chart if you want to see the dimensions on the x-axis. Learn more about the Horizontal Bar Charts here.

Compare 

The Compare visualization has been migrated to the improved Number visualization. Learn more about the Number visualization here. 

The Compare visualization was used to compare two Metrics side by side, and with the improved Number visualization, you can compare up to 15 metrics side by side.

Downside of Compare Datablocks	Benefits of the migration
You could only compare 2 metrics	You can add up to 15 metrics
You had to rebuild the Datablock to change the order of the metrics	You can easily sort your metrics by value, name, change or in a custom order from the Additional Settings. By selecting Sort by custom, you can drag and drop the Metrics in your preferred custom order
Only numbers were displayed	Option to display a small chart below the number. You can do this for each metric separately or for all the Metrics with the master switch in Additional Settings.
Master Date Range Switcher could cause issues with the view	Ability to disable the Date Range being auto-updated for the secondary metrics to achieve the use-case of comparing the same metrics with different date ranges.  This is possible from the Advanced Metric Settings of each metric. Learn more about the Auto-update option here.

Replicating your Compare Datablock with the Number Datablock

In the Datablock Editor, simply click the + Add Metric to add additional Metrics to the Number Datablock. 

Interval

The Interval visualization has been migrated to the improved Table visualization. Learn more about the Table visualization here. 

The Interval visualization was used to show and compare values for the same Metric for different Date Ranges on one Datablock. You can now achieve the same result with the Table visualization. 

Replicating your Interval Datablock with the Table Datablock

• In the Datablock Editor, simply click + Add Metric to add the same Metric multiple times to the Table Datablock.
• Select the Date Ranges for each Metric from the Datablock Editor
• Rename the Metric titles to reflect the Date Ranges you have selected (e.g. This Week, This Month, Last Month etc.)
• In the Advanced Metric Settings for each metric, disable the Auto-update option. This will enable each row to have its own Date Range regardless of the main Date Range at the top of the Datablock. Learn more about the Auto-update option here.

Combo Chart

The Combo chart allowed you to visualize a line chart and a bar chart on the same Datablock. Now, this is natively available as part of the Line/ Bar visualization. We still have the Combo Chart available in the Datablock Library on the leftside of the Designer if you would like to use this old flow.

Learn more about the Combo chart here. 

Regardless of whether you start with a Combo Chart, Line Chart, or Bar Chart, you can add additional metrics to be visualized as lines or bars to the chart. 

To switch between lines or bars being displayed for a specific metric, click on the Line or Bar Visualization switcher icon next to the metric name, as shown in the image below. 

New Visualization Types 

We’ve added 5 new visualization types: Radial Progress, Spider Diagram, Horizontal Bar Chart, Bubble Chart, and Data Stories.

Learn how to use these new visualization types here.

IN THIS SECTION

• Radial Progress
• Spider Diagram
• Horizontal Bar Graph
• Bubble Chart
• Data Stories

Radial Progress

Inspired by the health tracking “rings” on the Apple Watch, the Radial Progress visualization simplifies goal tracking. You can add up to 15 Metrics to see how your goals are progressing within a specific project at a glance.

Learn more about Radial Progress here.

Spider Diagram

You can use Spider Diagrams to compare up to 15 metrics and 15 related dimensions at once. By observing the polygon shapes, you can quickly spot patterns and anomalies in your data.

Learn more about the Spider Diagram here. 

Horizontal Bar Chart

You can use a Horizontal Bar Chart to compare the performance of different dimensions or metrics. The length of the bar represents your values, making it easy to spot top-performing categories. You can add up to 15 metrics to a Horizontal Bar Chart in Databox.

Learn more about the Horizontal Bar Chart here. 

Bubble Chart

The Bubble Chart helps you explore data relationships in an easy-to-consume format. The bubble sizes represent your metric values, so you can quickly pinpoint correlations between your metrics and dimensions. You can add up to 15 metrics, each with 15 dimensions.

Learn more about the Bubble Chart here. 

Data Stories

The Data Story visualization you know and love from reports is now available in Dashboards! Data Stories are easy-to-read text summaries about how your metric is performing. Your text will update automatically with the latest data, giving you more time to focus on what matters most.

Learn more about the Data Story visualization here. 

Databoard Improvements

We have added several dashboard capabilities, so now it's easier than ever to create and update dashboards in Databox. These improvements allow you to:

• Add multiple metrics to a single visualization to better understand how different metrics relate to each other.
• Select multiple comparison periods to see how current performance compares to past trends.
• Easily change the order of Dimensions and Metrics to make the most important information stand out.
• Change the color of individual Metrics to make it easier for viewers to understand your insights.
• Quickly switch between different visualization types to find the best way to represent your data.
• Organize your Datablocks with more flexibility as the Databoard layout has been updated to 16×8.