It already is supported, but not easily.
I love hill charts and I’ve used them with a number of clients. While the work at Basecamp was certainly inspirational, there are many instances of this data visualization that intersect with the basic concepts. It is truly an appealing visual and when people look at it, they get it immediately.
One of the issues with the Basecamp example is that it depends on human inputs over and above the usual and customary data collection in a project management process. Using this data instead of allowing them to create subjective interpretations of where projects are or to forget to update the chart, or people make mistakes – is a mess waiting to happen.
Data Visualization Rule #1 - If the visualization is dependent on people who must drag a single control to show high-level project status, it will almost always be misleading.
Instead, I tend to fully automate hill chart interpretations based on status indications in the project management data. This could be a collection of sub-tasks, or a long list of classified tasks. Whatever the case, hill charts must…
- Render objective measures as much as possible
- Do so automatically
- Be able to drill in to display increasingly granular views.
#3 is critical for teams - they need to see the big picture and a similar vision that breaks the project into smaller chunks - i.e., classes of tasks.
By combining the new Vega Lite charting feature with some relatively intricate javascript (through automation or script block), you can fashion a charting system that transforms your project data into a clean visual like this:
I created this mock-up example because none of my clients has authorized me to display their data. But it provides a clear understanding that it is possible.
Got approval to show a real one -
