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What's your primary visualization goal?
Comparison
Compare values across categories or time
Distribution
Understand spread and patterns of values
Relationship
Explore connections between variables
Composition
Show how parts make up a whole
Change Over Time
Track trends and patterns over time
Highlighting Anomalies
Identify outliers and unusual patterns
What type of comparison?
Compare Categories
Compare across different groups
Compare Over Time
Compare different time periods
Compare to Target
Compare against benchmarks
What are your data characteristics?
Single Variable
Comparing one measure across categories
Multiple Variables
Comparing multiple measures across categories
How many categories?
Few Categories (≤7)
Simple part-to-whole comparison
Many Categories (>7)
Easier comparison of many items
How are the variables related?
Independent Variables
Separate measures to compare
Cumulative Variables
Parts of a whole
What's your time data like?
Continuous Time Series
Regular, ongoing measurements
Discrete Time Periods
Specific time points or periods
How many series are you comparing?
Single Series
One measure over time
Multiple Series
Multiple measures over time
What's your comparison focus?
Period-to-Period
Compare discrete time periods
Multiple Measures
Compare measures within periods
What type of target comparison?
Single Target
Compare to one benchmark
Multiple Targets
Compare to several benchmarks
What's your target type?
Point Target
Specific value to reach
Range Target
Acceptable range of values
How are targets related?
Independent Targets
Separate benchmarks
Related Targets
Connected benchmarks
What aspect of distribution?
Central Tendency
Typical values and spread
Outliers
Extreme values and anomalies
Compare Distributions
Compare multiple groups
What's your data type?
Continuous Data
Measurements on a continuous scale
Discrete Data
Counts or categories
What's the distribution shape?
Normal Distribution
Bell-shaped curve
Any Distribution
Unknown or irregular shape
What's your focus?
Frequency
Count of occurrences
Proportion
Relative frequencies
How many variables?
Single Variable
Outliers in one dimension
Two Variables
Outliers in two dimensions
How many distributions?
Two Distributions
Direct comparison
Multiple Distributions
Compare several groups
How many groups?
Few Groups (≤5)
Detailed comparison
Many Groups (>5)
Overview of patterns
What type of relationship analysis?
Simple Correlation
Relationship between two variables
Multivariable Analysis
Three or more variables
Clustering & Patterns
Natural groupings and patterns
What types of variables are you analyzing?
Both Continuous
Two numerical variables
Categorical + Continuous
Categories with values
Both Categorical
Two categorical variables
What's your measurement scale?
Basic Relationship
Show general pattern
With Trend Analysis
Show direction and strength
How many categories?
Few Categories (≤7)
Distribution by group
Many Categories
Detailed distribution by group
How many levels in each category?
Few x Few
Show frequency/intensity
Many x Many
Show connections
How many variables are you analyzing?
Three Variables
3D relationships
Four Variables
4D visualization
Many Variables
High-dimensional analysis
What type is the third variable?
Continuous
Size shows third variable
Categorical
Color/shape shows groups
What type is the fourth variable?
Continuous
Animation shows change
Categorical
Separate panels
Are the variables related?
Correlated
Dimension reduction
Independent
Show all dimensions
What type of clustering?
Point Clusters
Groups in space
Hierarchical
Nested groups
Density-based
Concentration patterns
How many dimensions?
2D
Two-dimensional grouping
3D
Three-dimensional clusters
What's the hierarchy type?
Nested
Tree structure
Network
Connected clusters
What's the density measure?
Point Density
Show concentrations
Heat Density
Show intensity groups
What type of composition analysis?
Static Composition
Single point in time breakdown
Dynamic Composition
Changes in composition over time
Hierarchical Composition
Nested or layered structure
How many parts are you showing?
Few Parts (≤7)
Limited number of components
Many Parts (>7)
Multiple components
Very Many Parts (>20)
Large number of components
What's your focus?
Part-to-Whole
Show proportions
Value Focus
Show total in center
Are parts grouped?
Yes
Categorical groups
No
Single category
What's the scale type?
Linear
Space-filling layout
Relative
100-square grid
What's the time scale?
Discrete Time
Specific time points
Continuous Time
Flowing time periods
Periodic Time
Recurring patterns
How many time points?
Few
Show changes
Many
Show trends
What's the focus?
Absolute
Show volume changes
Relative
Show proportion changes
What's the period?
Seasonal
Cyclic patterns
Recurring
Repeating patterns
How many levels in the hierarchy?
Few Levels (≤3)
Simple hierarchy
Many Levels (>3)
Complex hierarchy
Network Structure
Connected hierarchy
What's the focus?
Size Relationships
Radial hierarchy
Structure
Linear hierarchy
Is space constrained?
Yes
Compact layout
No
Tree structure
What's the connection type?
Direct
Network layout
Indirect
Flow structure
What type of temporal analysis?
Linear Trends
Show consistent trends
Cyclical Patterns
Show recurring patterns
Comparative Changes
Compare changes across groups
What type of data?
Continuous
Measurements over time
Discrete
Distinct time points
Cumulative
Accumulating over time
What's the frequency?
Regular
Consistent intervals
Irregular
Varying intervals
What's the interval?
Equal Intervals
Regular periods
Varied Intervals
Irregular periods
What's the accumulation?
Simple
Single accumulation
Stacked
Multiple components
What type of cycle?
Regular Cycles
Consistent patterns
Nested Cycles
Patterns within patterns
Multiple Cycles
Several cycle types
How many cycles?
Single Cycle
One pattern
Multiple Cycles
Compare cycles
What's the nesting?
Hierarchical Time
Nested periods
Side by Side Time
Parallel periods
How do cycles relate?
Related Cycles
Continuous cycle
Independent Cycles
Separate cycles
What type of comparison?
Point Change
Specific points
Period Change
Time periods
Group Change
Multiple groups
How many points?
Two Points
Before/After
Multiple Points
Several changes
What's the period type?
Sequential
Consecutive periods
Overlapping
Rank changes
How many groups?
Few Groups
Group trends
Many Groups
Group patterns
What type of anomaly analysis?
Point Anomalies
Individual outliers
Pattern Anomalies
Unusual trends or behaviors
Group Anomalies
Group-specific outliers
How many variables?
Single Variable
Univariate outliers
Two Variables
Bivariate outliers
Multiple Variables
Multivariate outliers
What's the distribution?
Normal Distribution
Standard outliers
Any Distribution
General extremes
What's the relationship?
Correlated
Relationship outliers
Time-based
Temporal outliers
Are variables related?
Yes
Dimensional outliers
No
Multiple dimension outliers
What type of pattern?
Trend Pattern
Direction changes
Cycle Pattern
Periodic changes
Sequence Pattern
Order changes
What's the baseline?
Linear
From trend
Moving
Dynamic baseline
What's the periodicity?
Regular
Cycle breaks
Irregular
Pattern change
What's the sequence type?
Discrete
Pattern breaks
Continuous
Change points
What type of grouping?
Categorical
Discrete groups
Hierarchical
Nested groups
Clustered
Natural groups
How many groups?
Few Groups
Group comparison
Many Groups
Distribution + outliers
How many levels?
Simple
Hierarchical deviation
Complex
Hierarchical outliers
What's the clustering?
Distance-based
Cluster deviation
Density-based
Density deviation
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