Create a XY Plot (Scatter Chart)

In this article we cover:

1. What is an XY Plot?
2. How to create an XY Plot
3. How to display an XY Plot
4. How to adjust the font size of the XY Plot
5. Example of asking and answering an XY Plot question
6. Video example of XY Plot

1. What is an XY Plot?

The XY plot question type is typically used for risk assessment, impact analysis, or any situation where you need to see the relationship between two data points.

For this example we are looking at certain risk elements and determining the impact it would have vs the likelihood/probability of these risks happening.

2. To create a XY plot question follow these steps:

 Select 'Polls' from the main navigation menu on the left.

 Press the '+ Add Content' button.

 Select your question type as XY Plot.

 Enter the 'Question title' of your poll. That will be the question that you are asking. It is optional to add rich text formatting (bold, underline, italics paragraph break) to the question title.

 If you prefer, add an image to the poll question by clicking on the picture icon. We recommend not adding an image to this poll type, as the graph already takes up a large portion of the display. Including an image may cause the legends to appear unclear or be hidden. 

 Name the axes for the question. In this example we use ‘Cost’ for the X (horizontal) axis and ‘Time to Address’ for the Y(vertical) axis. 

Enter the highest value for the graph – with the higher number indicating a higher value or higher likelihood of it happening. 

List your items to rate. Our risk items include riks items for facilities management.  

 Select the ‘Create’ option to save your question. Your question will now have an XY Plot icon next to it.

3.  How to display an XY Plot

Once the poll is open in Present view, stop the poll by clicking the stop button on the control bar. The graph will then update to show the average position of each item on the XY plot.

Click on any item number to view the individual distribution of responses for that specific rating. Click the item again to return to the average position.

For example, clicking on item 3 will show how participants rated “Elevator malfunction”. The spread of those votes determines the item’s average location on the plot.

4. How to adjust the font size of the XY Plot

To change the font size on your XY Plot, click the three dots in the control bar, then use the slider to increase or decrease the text size. Slide right to enlarge, or left to reduce. When you're done, click anywhere on the Present view to close the font size menu.

5. Example of asking and answering a XY Plot question

In this example, participants are asked to compare the cost of a Christmas item vs the value they receive from that item. 

 First set up the question specifying your horizontal and vertical axes in your dashboard. 

Add the list of times to rate and set your highest value. Optional - add custom settings for your poll. For an XY plot poll we recommend keeping the poll open for a longer time, as participants need to rate more item.  Press the 'Create' button.

 When you are ready, present your question to your participants in present view.

 Participant device screens will show the scale to rate the value as well as the cost per item. Participants will use their fingers on their device screens to move the slide bar to the correct values. When they have finished rating all items they must press the 'Send' button at the bottom right corner to submit their answers. The instructions will appear on their device screens.

 Once the poll has been closed, the results will appear on present view and show where the value vs cost lies on the XY Plot.

The results will also appear on the participant devices.

 For further analysis to see where the actual plotting of the items was on the result slide, click on the item, and it will display the individual voting results on the scatter chart.

Practical example of how to create and interpret an XY Plot poll