Creating Interactive Graph Visualizations

Corey Lanum

Cambridge Intelligence

Founded May 2011We build tools to visualize networks

We run on almost any browser and any device

KeyLines vs. Neo4j Browser

• The Neo4j browser is a great tool for developers and data architects to understand their data model

• KeyLines is a customizable tool to allow an application’s end users to understand the relationships in the data itself

Purpose of Visualization

• To better understand the structure of the data that you are collecting

• To better understand the relationships contained in the data that you are collecting

KeyLines and Neo4j

Who uses graph visualization?

• Finance and Insurance– Fraud discovery and

investigation– Regulatory compliance

• Information Technology– Network Topology– Risk Assessment

• Government– Defense and Intelligence– Law Enforcement

• Oil and Gas– Physical Infrastructure

Creating Visualizations

• Convey Information Through Visual Properties– Nodes• Images or Icons• Colors• Sizes• Glyphs

– Edges• Colors• Width

Adding Interactivity• Query• Animate

– Changes to the chart should be animated so that the user doesn’t lose track of nodes

• Layout– The user should be provided with multiple layout options to

see what best organizes the data

• Explore– The user needs to be able to inspect non-visual properties of

the nodes and edges

• Expand– The user needs to be able to add additional data to the

visualization

• Combine and Filter– Not every data element needs to be drawn on the chart at

once

Visualization Dangers

• Uniqueness– Node identifier versus label text

• Structural rigidity– How you store your data may not be

how your users think about the data

• Overwhelming the user with data• Trying to be too clever

Thanks!

corey@cambridge-intelligence.com

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