Chapter 2. Visualizations

In this chapter, we will cover some visualization tips and tricks to create a compelling dashboard in Qlik Sense:

• Creating snapshots
• Creating and adding content to a story
• Adding embedded sheets to the story
• Highlighting the performance measure in a bar chart
• Associating persistent colors to field values using the script
• Using the colormix1 function
• Composition
• Relationships
• Comparison
• Distribution
• Structuring visualizations
• Measuring statistical data with box plot charts
• Using a waterfall chart to analyze the cumulative effect

Introduction

A typical Qlik Sense application should always follow the Dashboard Analysis Reporting (DAR) methodology. This methodology focuses on developing a dashboard sheet followed by an analysis sheet and then a reports sheet. The dashboard projects the high-level figures of the business; the analysis sheet gives more control to the end user to filter the data, while the reports sheet has the detailed information at a granular level.

Note

For more information on the DAR concept, visit https://community.qlik.com/blogs/qlikviewdesignblog/2013/11/08/dar-methodology.

While this concept can be easily implemented within the application, it is easy to forget the best design practices that help in making the applications more engaging for users. An optimal design will convey the right information to the right people at the right time. This will elevate the decision-making process within the organization.

This chapter focuses on some of the key concepts in data visualization that will help the users...

Creating snapshots

Snapshots are an exciting feature in Qlik Sense that enable users to capture the point-in-time state of the data object. Snapshots work as insights for a story, which will be discussed in later recipes.

Getting ready

For the sake of this exercise, we will make use of the Automotive.qvf Qlik Sense application. This application is downloaded as a sample file with the default Qlik Sense desktop installation and can be accessed through the Qlik Sense hub.

The sample files may differ by region. If the Automotive.qvf application is not available in the Qlik Sense hub, it can be downloaded from the Packt Publishing website.

Perform the following steps once you download the application from the Packt Publishing website (https://www.packtpub.com/big-data-and-business-intelligence/qlik-sense-cookbook-second-edition):

1. Copy the .qvf file to the C:\Users\<user>\Documents\Qlik\Sense\Apps folder
2. Open the Qlik Sense desktop and the app will appear in the hub

How to do it…

Qlik Sense provides...

Creating and adding content to a story

Qlik Sense introduces the concept of storytelling within the application. The data story interface helps the user to collate all the important observations and insights from the application to create a convincing narrative and present it to the intended audience in the form of a slideshow.

Getting ready

As in the previous recipe, we will again make use of the Automotive.qvf Qlik Sense application.

How to do it…

To create a story, perform the following steps:

1. Open the Automotive.qvf application
2. While you are still on the App overview page, click
   
   on the toolbar
3. Click on the
   
   sign to create a new story
4. Add the story name as Sales Overview and description as A narrative of the overall sales for the company
5. Click outside the description window to save the story

To add content to a storyboard, perform the following steps:

1. Open the storyboard for Sales Overview by clicking on the thumbnail.
2. The right-side pane of the storyboard represents six libraries that serve as the...

Adding embedded sheets to the story

Multiple sheets can be added to the story and the following section deals with the steps involved.

Getting ready

As in the previous recipe, we will again make use of the Automotive.qvf Qlik Sense application:

1. Open the Automotive.qvf application from the Qlik Sense hub.
2. Next, open the Sales Overview story, which was created in the previous recipe, by clicking
   
   on the toolbar.

How to do it…

Please follow the steps for adding embedded sheets to the story:

1. In the story view, click on the
   
   icon in the bottom-left corner of the storyboard to add a new slide.
2. On the panel at the right, click on
   
    to insert a sheet.
3. Select the In-use overview sheet from the dialog box, and set the alignment on the slide (left, center, right), as shown in the following screenshot:

 

4. Click on the In-Use overview button to select another sheet for the slide.
5. Save the file by clicking on the
   
    button.

The story can be played as a presentation by clicking on the 

 button on the left-hand side vertical...

Highlighting the performance measure in a bar chart

One of the essential components of a Qlik Sense dashboard is the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The KPIs indicate the health of the company based on specific measures. The information displayed in the KPI should stand out distinctly and demand attention. For example, one of the key KPIs that a CEO of the company may like to have on his dashboard is Actuals vs Budget. A CEO is mostly interested in knowing whether the company is below or above the budgeted figures. So, it makes sense to highlight the required information inside the visualization object. The following recipe explains and shows you how to do this in a bar chart.

Getting ready

A "Dial Gauge" is quite commonly used to display the key KPIs in Qlik Sense. However, the best design practices say that the "bar chart" is the most effective way of conveying the information to the user. The following example makes use of a bar chart to strengthen this thought.

Perform the following...

Associating persistent colors to field values using the script

The best practices say that a designer should avoid using bar charts with multi-colored bars or avoid having too many colors in any of your chart objects. But, at times, we need to cater to the demands of the organization and take an uncalled for approach to designing. The following recipe explains how to associate a distinct field value with different colors in the Qlik Sense script.

Getting ready

This recipe serves as a good example to demonstrate the use of the pick function in the script. Perform the following steps to get started:

1. Create a new Qlik Sense application and name it Persistent Colors.
2. Open the Data load editor.
3. Load the following script that contains information about the actuals and budget of four products. The script is available for download on the Packt Publishing website:

ProductsTemp:
LOAD * INLINE [
Product, Actuals, Budget
Footwear, 100000, 120000
Tyres, 180000, 150000
Mountain Bikes, 250000, 195000
Road Bikes...

Using the colormix1 function

Heat maps are a common requirement in most of the BI implementations. A colormix1 function helps to create a gradient between two colors. Look at the following recipe to understand the use of this function.

Getting ready

We will make use of a simple inline load for this recipe. Perform the following steps to get started:

1. Create a new Qlik Sense application. Name it HeatMaps_Colormix1.
2. Open the Data load editor.
3. Load the following script that gives you information about actuals and budget for products:

Products:
LOAD * INLINE [
Product, Actuals, Budget
Footwear, 100000, 120000
Tyres, 180000, 150000
Mountain Bikes, 250000, 195000
Road Bikes, 200000, 225000
Chains, 80000, 90000
Helmets, 240000,160001
Gloves, 56000,125000
Pedals, 45000,100000
Rucksacks, 300000,450000
];

How to do it…

1. Open the App overview and create a new sheet.
2. Create a Bar chart on the sheet
3. Use Product as the dimension.
4. Use Sum (Actuals) as the measure and label it as Actuals.
5. Switch off Auto colors to activate...

Composition

Composition can be defined as looking at a particular measure compared to the whole.

For example, in a "Sales by Region" chart, the sales for each singular region would be a discrete value, while the total sales across all countries would be the "Whole".

Total sales can be divided into "Relative shares" for each region. Having information on "Relative Sales Percentages," as compared to total sales, has a greater impact rather than viewing just the plain sales figures. Eureka moments are much more likely when people use a tool to answer their own questions, which is a core belief behind the design of Qlik Sense.

As with everything else, data composition can be visualized in multiple ways. Understanding what you are trying to achieve will eventually dictate the best choice of visualization.

For example, depending on what matters, each of the following points will favor a different form of visualization:

• Relative differences
• Relative and absolute differences
• Share of the total
• Accumulation...

Relationships

Seeing relationships in data is something that is very difficult to achieve when we view data numerically. The following visualizations are the key to uncovering correlations, outliers, and clusters in the data:

• Goal: Increase product subscriptions
• Question: Are there any differences in the relationship between the revenue and the sales quantity by product sub-group?
• Analysis: Here, we will use a scatter graph to plot product sales that are grouped by product sub-group

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application used in the Composition recipe.

How to do it…

1. In the application overview, click on the button in the top right-hand corner in order to create a new sheet and then click on the Create new sheet button. Name this sheet Relationships.
2. Once inside the newly created sheet, go to the Charts asset pane and double-click on the Scatter plot chart button.
3. Add the following measure (m) and dimension (d) in exactly the same order as shown here:

(m) Sum(Sales...

Comparison

The bar graph is one of the most common data visualizations. This is because it is simply the best way of comparing the difference in value across a single item.

• Goal: Increase product subscriptions
• Question: Why does a subset of similar products not respond as positively as others in the same market?
• Analysis: Combo chart

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application used in the Relationships recipe.

How to do it…

1. From the application overview, click the button in the top right-hand corner and click the Create new sheet button. Name this sheet Comparison.
2. Once inside the newly created sheet, go to the Charts asset pane and double-click the Combo chart button.
3. Add Product Group as a dimension.
4. Next, add Sum (Sales) as the first measure. Label it Sales.
5. Add sum ([Sales Qty]) as the second measure. Label it Sales Qty.
6. For the Sales Qty measure:
   • Change the default display format for the expression from Bars to Marker
   • Right below the display format options, there...

Distribution

Distribution analysis takes a look at how quantitative values are distributed along an axis, from the lowest to the highest. The characteristics emerge while looking at the shape of the data, such as central tendency, shape, and outliers:

• Goal: To understand which demographics should be focused on for our marking approach for a specific product group
• Question: The suitable age range to target our new marketing campaign toward
• Analysis: Use a histogram to see a useful range from the mean age

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application used in the Comparison recipe.

 

How to do it…

1. In the application overview, click on the button in the top right-hand corner and click on the Create new sheet button. Name this sheet Distribution.
2. Once inside the newly created sheet, go to the Charts asset pane and double-click on the Bar chart button.
3. In the properties pane to the right of your screen, click on Add data and select Dimension.
4. Click on the
   
   button for the input...

Structuring visualizations

As discussed in the introduction, when choosing visualizations, you should start with knowing if you are looking at a comparison, composition, distribution, or relationship.

While this helps in answering a single question effectively, this is often to fulfill the goal that you want to see the information from different angles. Structuring visualizations to easily answer "the next question" keeps consistency in analysis.

While in QlikView, it is common to design a user interface with more interaction than simply filtering the data. Qlik Sense is built with a large focus on the business user and analyst. This recipe involves little practical work and instead, it carries the torch for the expert designers in the product team at Qlik. Here is an example of how and why you should make use of a screen and not just an object.

 

 

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application used in the Distribution recipe.

How to do it…

The charts that were built...

Measuring statistical data with box plot charts

If you need to compare a range and distribution of numerical data, the box plot is the best choice. With the box plot, you can easily see the ranges and outliers using one of the three presets:

• Standard (J Tukey method)
• Percentile based
• Standard deviation

Each preset leads to different results in the box plot graph.

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application that we used in the Comparison recipe.

How to do it…

1. In the application overview, click on the button in the top right-hand corner and click on the Create new sheet button. Name this sheet Boxplot.
2. Once inside the newly created sheet, go to the Charts asset pane and double-click on the Box plot chart button
   
   .
3. In the properties pane to the right of your screen, click on Dimensions and click Add.
4. Select Field capital city as the first dimension.
5. Add OICA region as the second dimension.
6. Add the following line as the measure and label it Total Car Sales:

Sum([Car sales]...

Using a waterfall chart to analyze the cumulative effect

A waterfall chart helps you understand the cumulative effect of sequentially positive or negative values impacting a subtotal or total value. It's often used to visualize financial statements.

 

 

Getting ready

We will make use of the same Chapter 2 – Sales.qvf application used in the Comparison recipe.

How to do it…

1. In the application overview, click on the button in the top right-hand corner and click on the Create new sheet button. Name this sheet Waterfall.
2. Once inside the newly created sheet, go to the Charts asset pane and double-click on the Waterfall chart button
   
   .
3. In the properties pane to the right of your screen, click on Measures and click Add.
4. Add the following line as the measure and label it Total Commercial vehicle Sales:

sum([Commercial vehicle sales])

5. Add another line as the measure and label it Total Non Commercial vehicle Sales:

sum([Car sales])- sum([Commercial vehicle sales])

6. Add another line as the measure and label it Total...