Dashboards

Purpose

Dashboards offer the ability to use a set of data to drive multiple visualizations simultaneously. Each visualization in a dashboard is linked with shared functionality like dashboard-wide filtering. The user’s filter selection cascades across all data visualizations to provide different perspectives on the data.

Overview

Dashboards in the COVE editor are more complex to build than individual data visualizations, but they offer the user multiple views of a topic in a way separate visualizations could not. This is done using filterable data and individually configured visualizations that all interact with the same data sources.

There are three key elements to a Dashboard: Data Sources, Filters, and Dashboard Elements.

  • Data Sources can be one or more data files uploaded or referenced using a URL. Multiple data sources must have columns or data series in common for filtering to work. Each data source must also meet the data requirements for each visualization in the Dashboard that uses it.
  • Filters can be configured to give a page visitor the ability to customize their view at the dashboard level. When a filter is selected, the changes apply to all elements within the dashboard.
  • Dashboard Elements consist of most visualizations available in the data visualization editor plus a few specialized ones. A drag-and-drop editor is used to make layout more versatile.

Usage

Not all data requires a Dashboard to tell its story. Here are a few points of guidance to help evaluate if a Dashboard is needed.

Use:

  • When several visualizations require common filtering.
  • When relationships between visualizations need to be emphasized.

Don't Use:

  • When one visualization with supporting text could support the required communication alone.
  • If the planned visualizations do not work together to tell a complete story.

Configuration options

The Dashboards section of the gallery contains the building and configuration information for Dashboards. The Table of Contents will walk you through the steps. Of the available visualization types, Dashboards require the most advanced practice to build correctly. There is an order we recommend for constructing your Dashboard. Begin on the Building Dashboards page to get started. We also recommend a consultation with the COVE team if you plan a complex dashboard for your CDC webpage.

Example Dashboard Filtered by Location and Year

Sample Data: Dashboard Filtered by Location and Year

Example Dashboard Filtered by Map

Sample Data: The built in "United States: State Sample Data" in the COVE Editor "Import Data" Tab.

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