Choose the right visualization for your data.
Overview of Widget Types
Metrics and KPIs
- Metric Card: Single number with comparison
- Gauge: Progress toward target
- Sparkline: Tiny trend indicator
Charts
- Line Chart: Trends over time
- Area Chart: Volume over time
- Bar Chart: Category comparisons
- Column Chart: Vertical bars
- Pie Chart: Part-to-whole
- Donut Chart: Pie with center space
Tables and Lists
- Data Table: Rows and columns
- Pivot Table: Cross-tabulated data
- Top N List: Ranked items
Geographic
- Map: Choropleth by region
- Bubble Map: Points with size
Other
- Text Box: Annotations
- Image: Logos, diagrams
- Embed: External content
Choosing Visualizations
When to Use Each Type
Metric Card
- Best for: Single KPI focus
- Example: Total Revenue, User Count
- Not for: Multiple metrics
Line Chart
- Best for: Trends over time
- Example: Daily sales, growth rates
- Not for: Category comparisons
Bar Chart
- Best for: Comparing categories
- Example: Sales by region, product performance
- Not for: Time series
Pie/Donut Chart
- Best for: Part-to-whole relationships
- Example: Market share, budget allocation
- Not for: Many categories (>5)
Table
- Best for: Detailed data review
- Example: Transaction list, user details
- Not for: Quick insights
Map
- Best for: Geographic patterns
- Example: Sales by state, global reach
- Not for: Non-geographic data
Widget Configuration
Common Settings
All widgets share:
- Title and subtitle
- Data source selection
- Filter options
- Refresh settings
Chart-Specific Settings
Line/Area Charts
- X-axis (typically date)
- Y-axis (metric)
- Multiple series
- Trend lines
Bar/Column Charts
- Category axis
- Value axis
- Stacking options
- Sorting
Pie/Donut Charts
- Dimension (slices)
- Measure (sizes)
- Label options
- Legend position
Formatting Options
- Numbers: Decimals, thousands separator
- Currency: Symbol, format
- Percentage: Decimal places
- Dates: Format string
- Colors: Palette selection
Best Practices
Design Guidelines
- One message per widget
- Clear, readable labels
- Consistent color scheme
- Appropriate chart type
Performance
- Limit data points displayed
- Use aggregations
- Enable caching
- Optimize queries
Accessibility
- Color contrast
- Alt text for images
- Readable font sizes
- Screen reader compatibility