Making a Viz That Stops Traffic

MAKING A VIZ THAT STOPS TRAFFIC

DAN MONTGOMERY

@DANRMONTY

DAN MONTGOMERY

• B.S. NUCLEAR ENGINEERING – PURDUE

UNIVERSITY

• JOINED SLALOM CONSULTING IN 2012

• MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO IN 2014

• HAS WORKED WITH TABLEAU SINCE 2010

PHILOSOPHY ON “TRAFFIC STOPPING” VIZ DESIGN• K.I.S.S.

• MOST TIMES, 2-3 CHARTS IS ENOUGH

• USE A SMALL CANVAS TO ENFORCE LIMITS

• COLORS• @VIZCANDY (KELLY MARTIN)

• SHOULD ENHANCE YOUR SOURCE SUBJECT/DIRECT USERS ATTENTION

• STICK WITH A COLOR THEME 2-3 COLORS

• PICTURES• “WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS”

• MORE DIRECTLY CONNECT YOUR CONTENT TO YOUR AUDIENCE

• TOOLTIPS• REWRITE THEM TO BE CONVERSATIONAL

• USE COLOR THEME

• ACTIONS - HOVER• RELATE DIFFERENT DATA PERSPECTIVES

• “INTERACTIVE WITHOUT INSTRUCTION”

• FUN-FACTOR, BUT WITH LIMITS

• FORMATTING• FONTS, BORDERS, REFERENCE LINES, ETC

ARE ALL CUSTOMIZABLE

• WEB CONTENT • APPLY WHERE APPROPRIATE

• SOURCE REFERENCES, MUSIC, VIDEOS

• “MAKE SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT TO USE, NOT HAVE TO USE”• @NELSONDAVIS

• “SHOP IT AROUND” BEFORE PUBLISHING

HOW THIS VIZ STOPPED TRAFFIC

K.I.S.S.COLORSTOOLTIPSWEB CONTENTIMAGESACTIONSFORMATTING“WANT TO USE”

HOW THIS VIZ STOPPED TRAFFIC

K.I.S.S.COLORSTOOLTIPSIMAGESACTIONSFORMATTING“WANT TO USE”

HOW THIS VIZ STOPPED TRAFFIC

K.I.S.S.COLORSTOOLTIPSWEB CONTENTIMAGESACTIONSFORMATTING“WANT TO USE”

THOUGHTS FOR BLOGGING• THE STORY BEING TOLD IS PARAMOUNT

• SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE DESIGN TRUMPS COOL TRICKS

• GREAT DESIGN TAKES TIME (AND LOTS OF

ITERATION)

• TAKE YOUR TIME BUILDING YOUR VIZ, PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

• TABLEAU IS COMMUNITY OF HONEST THIEVES

• LEARN NEW TECHNIQUES BY “STEALING”, BE HONORED WHEN YOU’RE

“STOLEN” FROM

• YOUR BLOG IS ABOUT YOU, NOT YOUR AUDIENCE

• APPRECIATE COMPLIMENTS, BUT BUILD FOR YOURSELF