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!
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