Storytelling in Visual Analytics Tools for Business Intelligence
In one embodiment, a method creates a story from business intelligence visualizations. The method displays a set of visualizations associated with a business intelligence system on a business intelligence dashboard where the business intelligence dashboard is used to create a business intelligence report. Also, the method receives a set of annotations that are associated with one or more visualizations in the set of visualizations through the dashboard and stores the set of annotations with links to the one or more visualizations. Then, a narrative board is generated for the story including at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations. The set of annotations on the narrative board are displayed visually in the narrative board with a visual relationship to respective visualizations based on respective links to the visualizations to form the story.
1 . A method for creating a story from business intelligence visualizations, the method comprising:
displaying, by a computing device, a set of visualizations associated with a business intelligence system on a business intelligence dashboard, wherein the business intelligence dashboard is used to create a business intelligence report;
receiving, by the computing device, a set of annotations that are associated with one or more visualizations in the set of visualizations through the dashboard;
storing, by the computing device, the set of annotations with links to the one or more visualizations; and
generating, by the computing device, a narrative board for the story including at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations, wherein the set of annotations on the narrative board are displayed visually in the narrative board with a visual relationship to respective visualizations based on respective links to the visualizations to form the story.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the story is created automatically from the dashboard.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a selection of the least a portion of the visualizations to include in the narrative board; and
generating the narrative board with the selection of visualizations.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the set of annotations comprises:
receiving an indication of which visualization to include an annotation;
receiving information for the annotation; and
storing a link between the annotation and the visualization along with the information.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the link includes a position in the visualization in which to visually associate the annotation.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the narrative board displays the annotation with the visual relationship to the position in the visualization.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the set of annotations in a list associated with the dashboard and a positional indicator in the set of visualizations for respective annotations in the set of annotations.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the story includes a time-based sequence of the at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations in the story.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the story includes a static representation of the at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations in the story.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an adjustment to one of the set of annotations that is displayed visually in the narrative board with the visual relationship; and
adjusting the annotation or the visual relationship for the visualization based on the adjustment.
11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for creating a story from business intelligence visualizations, the instructions, when executed, control a computer system to be configured for:
displaying a set of visualizations associated with a business intelligence system on a business intelligence dashboard, wherein the business intelligence dashboard is used to create a business intelligence report;
receiving a set of annotations that are associated with one or more visualizations in the set of visualizations through the dashboard;
storing the set of annotations with links to the one or more visualizations; and
generating a narrative board for the story including at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations, wherein the set of annotations on the narrative board are displayed visually in the narrative board with a visual relationship to respective visualizations based on respective links to the visualizations to form the story.
12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the story is created automatically from the dashboard.
13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further configured for:
receiving a selection of the least a portion of the visualizations to include in the narrative board; and
generating the narrative board with the selection of visualizations.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the set of annotations comprises:
receiving an indication of which visualization to include an annotation;
receiving information for the annotation; and
storing a link between the annotation and the visualization along with the information.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the link includes a position in the visualization in which to visually associate the annotation.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the narrative board displays the annotation with the visual relationship to the position in the visualization.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further configured for displaying the set of annotations in a list associated with the dashboard and a positional indicator in the set of visualizations for respective annotations in the set of annotations.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the story includes a time-based sequence of the at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations in the story.
19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the story includes a static representation of the at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations in the story.
20 . An apparatus configured to create a story from business intelligence visualizations, the apparatus comprising:
one or more computer processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for:
displaying a set of visualizations associated with a business intelligence system on a business intelligence dashboard, wherein the business intelligence dashboard is used to create a business intelligence report;
receiving a set of annotations that are associated with one or more visualizations in the set of visualizations through the dashboard;
storing the set of annotations with links to the one or more visualizations; and
generating a narrative board for the story including at least a portion of the visualizations and the set of annotations, wherein the set of annotations on the narrative board are displayed visually in the narrative board with a visual relationship to respective visualizations based on respective links to the visualizations to form the story.