Bowl View Graphical Representation for Web Analytics User Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current visualization techniques for web analytics fail to clearly and effectively represent user interactions with retail websites, often oversimplifying important details or becoming overly complex, making it difficult to identify reasons for user abandonment in the checkout pipeline.
Innovation Solution
A graphical representation of user interactions using a 'bowl' view, where webpages are represented as points along a curve, with user attrition shown by decreasing node sizes and movement depicted by arrows, allowing for intuitive visualization of user flow and abandonment, including internal and external exits, with additional data provided through pop-up windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional funnel visualization is used to represent user attrition, then user abandonment is shown, but important details of user interactions are lost due to oversimplification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the checkout pipeline into discrete webpages (nodes) arranged in a curve, where each node represents a specific webpage. This segmentation allows detailed tracking of user interactions at each individual webpage level while maintaining an overall pipeline view, thus preserving user interaction details without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional one-dimensional funnel view into a two-dimensional curved arrangement where webpages are positioned along an arc. This dimensional change allows simultaneous display of multiple data elements (node positions, connection lines, node sizes) that encode different aspects of user behavior, thereby preserving more information without linearly increasing complexity.
2Measurement precision
If detailed user interaction data is visualized, then user behavior patterns can be identified, but the visualization becomes overly complex and difficult to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying node sizes to represent different metrics (e.g., number of users, conversion rates) at each specific webpage. This allows precise measurement of user behavior at local nodes while maintaining visual simplicity through consistent graphical elements, enabling accurate analysis without overwhelming complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses color variations in connection lines to encode different types of user transitions (e.g., successful conversions, abandonments, internal vs. external exits). This visual encoding allows precise differentiation of user behavior patterns while maintaining ease of interpretation through intuitive color-coding rather than complex textual labels.
3Productivity
If checkout pipeline analysis is performed to identify abandonment reasons, then conversion rates can be improved, but user flow complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges webpages along a curved arc rather than a straight line, creating a visual representation that naturally shows the flow progression. This curved layout simplifies the visualization of complex user paths by providing intuitive spatial relationships, making it easier to analyze checkout pipeline effectiveness and identify optimization opportunities.
Data Source
AI summary
A user interface displays visual representations of user interaction with a series of nodes in a defined pipeline. The pipeline includes several nodes in a defined order with a starting node and an ending node. Each of the nodes is represented by a symbol, such as a circle, with elements, such as arrows, showing the movement of users to and from the respective nodes. User movement to a node outside of the pipeline nodes may also be shown with arrows or other elements. In some implementations such as web analytics, the nodes may be webpages and the users may be viewers who browse from one page to the next. One illustrative pipeline may be a series of webpages that a viewer interacts with in order to complete an online purchase.