Imagine you’re the owner of a large outdoor shopping outlet.
It’s your pride and joy — with dozens of stores, thousands of customers, all moving in and out every day. Rather than walking through it all, you’re observing from above, flying in a helicopter high enough to see the full area.
From this altitude, you can see the entire block. The buildings, parking lots, and the general movement of people give you a sense that the outlet is alive and well.
You can’t read the store signs or count the exact number of shoppers — but you don’t need to. Your concern isn’t to sweat the small stuff; it’s to ensure the entire operation is running smoothly. And from this height, all signs look good.
Let’s drop lower and change roles.
Now you’re the outlet manager. You’re still in the air, but flying much closer to the ground. The details start to become clearer. You can see how many people are entering and leaving different stores. Foot traffic patterns are revealed. Maybe some areas are thriving while others look deserted.
You start asking different questions: Are certain stores attracting more customers than others? Is there a bottleneck in foot traffic? Do you need to step in for underperforming areas?
Finally, you land.
Now, you’re on the ground as a store manager. You’re no longer concerned with the entire shopping outlet — your store is your world. You see customers up close, watching their behaviors, interactions, and purchases.
Are they browsing but not buying? Are long checkout lines driving people away? You’re deep in the details, making strategic decisions that directly impact your store’s success.
Three different perspectives.
Three different levels of detail.
And here’s the key: each level requires a completely different way of looking at the data.
Image generated by OpenAI
The Data Visualization Altitude Problem
This helicopter analogy is exactly how data granularity works in data visualization. Your audience — whether executives, managers, or frontline employees — needs to see data at the right altitude for their role.
Yet, this is where many visualizations fail.
Too much detail at high altitudes. Executives don’t need to see daily sales trends for every store in a dashboard cluttered with numbers. They need a streamlined, high-level summary that shows them whether the business is on track or not.
Too little detail at ground level. Store managers can’t make decisions based on vague sales summaries. They need specific, actionable data — what’s selling, what’s not, and why.
Mismatched dashboards. The biggest mistake? Creating one-size-fits-all dashboards that don’t actually fit anyone’s needs. This forces executives to sift through unnecessary details while managers struggle to find the insights they need.
Designing Data Visualizations That Land
So how do you fix this? By identifying your audience type and designing your visualizations with an audience-first approach.
Executives (High Altitude — The Owner’s View)
Focus on summaries and trends: Is the business growing? What’s the overall revenue trend?
Use simple, high-impact visuals (line charts, KPIs, or summary dashboards to name a few).
Cut unnecessary details — executives shouldn’t be bogged down analyzing every store’s performance.
Middle Management (Mid Altitude — The Outlet Manager’s View)
Show comparative insights: Which stores are performing best? Where are the biggest shifts in customer traffic?
Visuals like heatmaps, bar charts, and rankings to highlight differences and trends.
Frontline Employees (Ground Level — The Store Manager’s View)
Give them operational data: What’s selling? What times of day are busiest?
Detailed tables, drill-down options, and transaction-level insights are typically good options here.
This idea goes far beyond retail. Every job, every industry, every client comes with their own perspective — and it’s our job to meet them at the right altitude.
Get the Right Altitude in Your Visuals
If your report isn’t landing, it’s likely the problem isn’t the data — it’s the altitude.
A great visualization isn’t about showing more data; it’s about showing the right data to the right audience in the right way.
So the next time you are preparing data for an audience, ask yourself:
Am I at the right altitude?
Take Your Visuals to the Next Level
If you found this “altitude” approach helpful, my ebook Data Visualization: An Audience-First Approach will show you exactly how to design reports that resonate — no matter who’s in the room. Packed with real-world examples and practical tips, it’s your guide to creating visuals that land every time.
