The patents dashboard is a lengthy infographic displaying various metrics about patent applications in the US in August 2010. The visualisation contains many gauges, bar charts, column charts and text, with considerable repetition.
The Data
There are 17 metrics in the Patents dashboard. The unit level of data is applications (and one measure for staff). The application data are sliced different ways to produce the various metrics.
Visual Variables
Position is used in the gauges by a needle showing the magnitude of the metrics.
Colour, it appears, is used indiscriminately.
Size is used in the bar and column charts to show magnitude of the metrics.
Visual Mapping
Gauges are used in BI dashboards as a metaphor for an aircraft dashboard. Usually dashboard gauges include some information about targets or bands, but the gauges in the patents dashboard show only a single number with no indication of whether or not the value is good or bad. The only indication of relative position is the scale of the gauge. The actual value is repeated on each graphic making considerable detail redundant.
Information Seeking
While is appears the infographic contains extensive information there is only information on 17 metrics. To identify if the agency is performing well the user must read the text. To explore how the agency is performing in a historical context, static time series charts are available my clicking text-based links.
Interaction
This visualization provides very limited user interaction. Standard icons allow the user to print, save and export data. The graphic prints well, albeit on many pages. The ‘export data’ option does not appear to work (it returns an empty file). Providing drill down and targets would improve this infographic.
Shneiderman’s ‘visual information seeking mantra’ can still be seen in this visualisation. The first screen shows an overview. As the user scrolls more detail is available and a click through provides historical information. It would certainly benefit from more zooming, filtering and details on demand (which may be provided through the data download).
Stephen Few’s version
Few, a well known visualisation minimalist had a go at creating a better dashboard. His intent was to show how little space is needed to present the same information. He achieved that, but it could be argued at the expensive of aesthetics and interpretability. Neither display does the data justice, although Few’s version is much closer. 
