Tables and Grids: Present data in familiar spreadsheet formats

The Table visualization (sometimes called a Grid) is a familiar way to communicate detailed information about relatively small sets of data. In most cases, people use a Table to display all the values in the set or sub-totals from a larger database.  

Display hierarchical data in Tables

You can configure the Panopticon Table to show hierarchies. This makes it easy for users to quickly get to sub-totals and grand totals while still maintaining access to the detailed source data. The Breakdown function available in all Panopticon products is accessible as well so the user can expand and collapse the hierarchy on demand. The Breakdown function also allows users to re-orient the hierarchy in order to get different perspectives on the same data without going to a new dashboard or data visualization. Users can sort the data presented in the Table by simply clicking on a column heading.

This Table visualization uses Line Graphs to create two columns of Sparklines associated with each row of data. This makes it easy to make quick visual comparisons of time series data in a compact format.

Add micro-charts to highlight relative differences between values

One of the unique aspects of our Table function is that dashboard designers can set them up to display the data directly as numbers or add micro-charts to the visualization. This is particularly useful when preparing dashboards for presentations where a graphic element will help viewers understand the relative values of the data. The Panopticon Table supports these additional visualizations as optional micro-charts:

• Bullet Graph
• Bar Graph
• Dot Plot
• Line Graph (to create a Sparkline display)
• Needle Graph

Create Pivot Tables to display small multiples

One of Edward Tufte's principles of visualization design is to use small multiples to help people understand complex data. Tufte asks: "At the heart of quantitative reasoning is a single question: Compared to what? Small multiple designs, multivariate and data bountiful, answer directly by visually enforcing comparisons of changes, of the differences among objects, of the scope of alternatives. For a wide range of problems in data presentation, small multiples are the best design solution."

You can use the Cross Tab function in Panopticon dashboard systems to show subsets of the original data set in a series of small multiples, which allows you to generate Pivot Tables. The Pivot Table supports a single numeric value representing the crosspoint of hierarchical rows and columns. Each intersection cell can both display the aggregated numeric value plus the associated color range, which can be subdued or intense. You can even remove the numeric labeling to produce a Heat Matrix.

Pivot Tables support different color schemes that allow dashboard designers to present complex columnar data in ways that help users digest it as quickly as possible.

Invoke external systems from within a Table or Grid

Our Table visualizations are designed to be connected to other systems. Click on an element in a Grid to launch a third party system. This can be as simple as invoking a web browser to bring up news about a particular equity, or something much more complex like initiating buy and sell orders with a trading system.

Supported in all Panopticon products

All of our products — the EX enterprise application, the Developer SDK and our RDK/Rapid Development Kit — support Table data visualizations.

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