Matrix Visual
Also called: Pivot table, Crosstab, Text table (Tableau)
A matrix is a table that groups rows and columns by categories, such as region by quarter, with subtotals and expandable levels. It's the BI version of a pivot table.
What a matrix does
A matrix answers “how does this measure break down across two dimensions?” Rows are one grouping (e.g. region → country), columns are another (e.g. quarter), and each cell holds the value where they meet. Subtotals and a grand total are calculated for you.
The expand / collapse arrows (▸ ▾) let viewers drill from region down to country without leaving the page.
Common matrix layouts
Heatmap matrix
Conditional formatting shades each cell by value, so patterns jump out before anyone reads a number. Here, Laptops is clearly the strongest line and is growing every month.
Variance matrix
Actual vs. budget with a variance column, coloured by whether the gap is good or bad. Note that a cost going up is red even though the number is positive.
Where matrices go on a dashboard
Matrices are dense, so they usually go at the bottom of the page, below the KPIs and charts. There they act as the “show me the detail” layer, for people who want exact numbers after the charts have told the story.
Read top to bottom, the page goes from what happened (KPIs), to why (charts), to the exact numbers (matrix).
Best practices
- Add visual cues. Data bars or light conditional shading help people spot the big numbers without reading every cell.
- Right-align numbers and use the same decimal places throughout.
- Collapse by default. Show the top level and let people expand what they care about.
- Limit the columns. Five to eight columns stay readable. Twelve months plus a total usually means horizontal scrolling.
Mocking up a matrix
Decide the row hierarchy and column grouping on the mockup, because it drives how the data model has to be shaped. Finding out late that finance wanted country → region rather than region → country is an expensive change.
