Projects/Where Does My Money Go/Dashboard Views



= New Dashboard Designs =

The idea is to develop the dashboard in the directions we have discussed. We want to preserve the overarching functionality of the current dashboard, while streamlining navigation based on the data mining ideas we have been developing. At the same time, we want to begin to make meaningful comparisons between parameters, as per the compar-o-tron.

This is the basic model we will be working with. I suggest we make an html image map of these, for some preliminary user testing.

More new designs can be found at the bottom of this page.

See also designs for Comparotron A

Integration with HTML
We still need to work out
 * how to navigate commentary between pages.
 * how to embed graphics

Navigation/commentary use cases
 * How to group comments as you move around the dashboard?
 * At what level of navigation can you comment? What selection? What view?
 * pinning most popular/curated/featured views to the top of functional domains?

How to use comments to navigate the flash
 * Show related views/comments on any particular page (e.g. anything from the same functional domain)
 * Click on a comment to reset the visualization within that domain
 * Provide feedback on changing comment threads as you navigate across domains

Maximize/minimize is a problem - what do you show or hide?
 * Special layout for minimizing that window?
 * Summary visualization showing query?

Notes on styling

 * Preserve visualization models from the existing dashboard as appropriate
 * Screen fonts throughout
 * No extraneous decoration. No details which don't serve the data or the interface.

Embedding the Dashboard
For a seamless experience, we need to embed the visualization experience in HTML pages, on which will be displayed user generated content and material from the data store.

We need to create pages in which visualizations (dashboard output) share space with user commentary and content from the data store. This involves embedding dashboard views in the web page, and using them as navigational devices. We can then use the surrounding HTML to present associated content (recently commented, popular pages etc), and material from the data store.

Proposing two basic templates for this: We may combine the functionality of both of these into one template, which fulfills both purposes.
 * A simple template containing a single *deep-linked visualization* view, user commentary, and links to data store. The emphasis will be on using the visualization for navigation between views. [1]
 * A complex template relating to *a specific function of government*, as defined by a particular icon. This gives priority to material from the data store, and emphasises user activity over visualization. [2]

We will still need to provide comparisons by region, but park this for now. Once we have cracked this dual mode of navigation, we will be able to work in the regional comparison.

[[Media:p$$Where_Does_My_Money_Go$$Dashboard_Views$WDMMG|New Views 3.png]]

The idea is that both the Flash and the HTML can be used for navigation around the site. As a rule of thumb:
 * use the Flash dashboard to navigate via the data
 * use the HTML to navigate via user activity.

Navigating, deep linking and commenting.


(note - my example assumes that users are making and posting visualizations; in practice, it's unlikely our next dashboard will be that powerful)

The dashboard will be used for navigating through the data, as well as manipulating it. For example, a Maximise button (or something like it) takes you into an "edit" mode. This is familiar from YouTube and other applications, and can be used to change the view, thereby taking you to new HTML content.

When we use the dashboard for navigation, we need ways of preserving and retrieving commentary between views. We can:
 * limit commentary to certain views or groups of views (e.g. disable comments on individual years)
 * make views with comments "sticky" as you navigate
 * provide alternative ways of navigating views (using HTML)
 * slim down the navigation experience, adding visual cues when discussion becomes active

More on navigating with icons to functional domains
A good way to help people to understand the content is through the iconography. Use icons to guide people through functions of government. This is also an opportunity to present visualizations, commentary and data store on a single HTML page.

We can use both Financial Bubbles and Daily Bread as routes into this.

Give each functional domain its own page in the HTML, containing an overview of relevant visualizations, comments and links to the data store.



More New Designs
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