Innovative Tableau

Chapter 23. 3 Ways to Make Stunning Scatter Plots: Tip 2

How to Automate Scatter Plot Segmentation

I mentioned in Chapter 22 that adding reference lines for the average of each axis creates a natural four-quadrant segmentation. Next, I share with you a way to make that segmentation permanent through a calculated field. This allows you to isolate the four segments so that you can evaluate and act on them individually based on their behavior.

To begin, on the Analytics pane, add an average reference line to each axis by dragging Average Line onto the view:

Depending on the number of axes on the view, dragging Average Line from the Analytics pane to the view can be a little confusing. This is because you must choose both the axis and the scope of the reference line. If you prefer, you can also add reference lines by simply right-clicking each axis and then, on the menu that opens, choosing Add Reference Line.

Notice we now have four quadrants on the view. The upper-left corner are the sub-categories with a high profit ratio and low sales; the upper-right are those with a high profit ratio and high sales; the lower-right are those with a low profit ratio and high sales; and the lower-left are those with both a low profit ratio and low sales. Depending on the dimension members in your analysis, you will likely want to act on these four groups in different ways.

To isolate each group, ...