Guide section 10 of 31
Interaction Patterns
| Pattern | User goal | Native mechanism | Recommended behaviour | Feedback/state | Restrictions | Use when | Avoid when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filter | Show only data matching a selection. | Slicer/filter context. | Update affected visuals; keep active state visible. | Selection/filter state. | Invisible filter scope can confuse. | Frequent subset selection. | When users need whole-vs-subset comparison instead. |
| Cross-filter | Show me only this selected subset. | Edit interactions → filter. | Remove nonmatching data from target visuals. | Selected mark + changed targets. | Can destroy context if whole is needed. | Subset investigation. | Comparison to the full population is essential. |
| Cross-highlight | Show the selected subset in relation to the whole. | Edit interactions → highlight. | Keep full context and emphasize matching data. | Selected mark + highlighted portion. | Can be visually complex in dense charts. | Part-vs-whole comparison. | The user expects targets to be filtered down completely. |
| No interaction | Keep this visual independent/contextual. | Edit interactions → none. | Do not respond to unrelated selection. | No change. | Must be intentional, not accidental. | Independent context/reference visual. | When the user reasonably expects linked analysis. |
| Drill-down / up | Move through known hierarchy levels. | Visual hierarchy/drill controls. | Keep current level clear; provide predictable path. | Hierarchy indicator/axis changes. | Can disorient if level is unclear. | Year→Quarter→Month; region→store. | The destination needs a different composition. |
| Expand hierarchy | See parent and child levels together. | Matrix/visual expand controls. | Preserve hierarchy indentation/context. | Expanded/collapsed state. | Dense output. | Hierarchical tables/matrices. | A flat comparison is the real task. |
| Drillthrough | Open dedicated analysis for selected context. | Drillthrough page + back. | Pass selected context; offer clear Back path. | Destination header shows entity/context. | Can be undiscoverable; blank destinations under restrictive filters. | Deeper contextual analysis. | Simple hierarchy movement within one visual. |
| Standard tooltip | See supplemental values. | Native tooltip. | Keep it concise and ancillary. | Hover/focus tooltip. | Not reliable for critical content/accessibility. | Extra values/context. | Information is essential to understand the page. |
| Report-page tooltip | See richer small contextual view. | Tooltip page. | Small, noninteractive composition; hide from normal nav. | Consistent tooltip styling. | Screen readers cannot rely on hover content. | Rich supplemental context. | Users need controls, scrolling or continued analysis. |
| Bookmark | Recall a predefined report state. | Bookmark. | Use for clear, limited state changes. | Selected navigator/button state. | Overlapping bookmark state is brittle/confusing. | Known alternative views/states. | General app-state management. |
| Page navigation | Move between report sections/pages. | Page navigator/button. | Stable labels and selected state. | Current page indication. | Can become too app-like if overengineered. | Primary report architecture. | For contextual drill into one selected entity. |
| Back | Return from drillthrough/context. | Back button. | Persistent and predictable. | Button/focus state. | Do not make user reconstruct prior context. | Drillthrough destinations. | Not needed on normal top-level pages. |
| Reset / clear | Return to known state. | Clear slicers/bookmark reset. | Define target state explicitly. | Active filters visibly clear. | 'Clear' vs 'reset to default' ambiguity. | Complex filter states. | When no meaningful default exists. |
| Show/hide | Reveal supporting content. | Bookmarks/selection pane where appropriate. | Use sparingly; keep state visible. | Explicit control + current state. | Hidden content creates discoverability issues. | Optional help/detail. | Primary evidence or navigation. |
| Field parameter switching | Switch fields/measures/dimensions. | Field parameters + slicer/button. | Use for equivalent analytical views. | Selected metric/dimension visible. | Can make titles/axes ambiguous. | Metric/dimension switchers. | Different views require different page structure. |
| Measure switching | Choose among equivalent metrics. | Field parameter/disconnected parameter pattern. | Keep units/titles updated. | Selected measure visible. | Mixed units/semantics can confuse. | Comparable KPIs. | Metrics have different analytical stories. |
| Chart switching | Change representation of the same data. | Field parameter/bookmark only when justified. | Prefer one correct chart; switch only for a real user need. | Selected view explicit. | Adds complexity/maintenance. | Equivalent perspectives. | Used as decoration or preference toggle. |
| Details on demand | Reveal more evidence only when needed. | Drillthrough/tooltips/detail page. | Keep overview focused. | Clear affordance. | Discoverability. | Progressive disclosure. | The detail is required for every decision. |
| Focus mode | Temporarily enlarge a visual. | Native visual header. | Keep as secondary utility. | Visual header. | Can remove page context. | Dense visual inspection. | Primary navigation or required analysis. |
| Export | Use data outside the report. | Native export where permitted. | Make availability/governance explicit. | Action feedback/download. | Permissions/data limits vary. | Operational handoff/analysis. | Export is being used to compensate for poor report UX. |
| Sort | Reorder a visual/table. | Native sort. | Set a meaningful default and preserve user control where appropriate. | Sort indicator. | Arbitrary order. | Ranking, chronology, business order. | Order carries a fixed semantic meaning. |
| Search | Find a known value/entity. | Slicer search/input/table patterns. | Use for large result spaces. | Query/result state. | Search capability varies by control. | Known-item lookup. | Small option sets. |