I'm investigating ways of showing how megatrends influence each-other (as a driver, an inhibitor, or as a consequence from one another).
As you might remember from previous blog posts, I have been using the Cayra software previously (which you can download for free on cnet), with this type of result:
Nice indeed, but it hardly shows HOW the trends are interrelated, and to be fair the tool is a but harsh to use... loads of 'trial and errors' are needed before obtaining a decent picture, at least if you have as many variables as I have with the 24 megatrends I currently cover.
One reader (thanks, Adrew) suggested a matrix with the trends both on the vertical and horizontal axis. I tried it out:
There's something in this, picturally it is much stronger than the Cayra tool, but again it is very hard to show HOW the trends inter-relate without having to use text... Perhaps with color coding (there's already some trial in the example above, the orange cells show a negative effect), and adding a meaning to the vertical vs horizontal reading...
On the other hand the chart shouldn't become too heavy or unreadable...
...as I said, this is a challenge... anyone with any bright idea?
When using the Cayra tool (at your suggestion thanks!) I use the "link type" naming feature to describe the relationship between trends. Eventually you discover relationship categories which are as useful to monitor as the trends themselves.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tie, I'll try it out
ReplyDelete