[Lens] Presence Of Dual Chart Selectors Is Confusing

[MichaelMarcialis]

Currently, Lens offers two means with which users can change their current visualization type: 1) at the global-level via the selector above the visualization workspace, and 2) at the layer-level via the selector at the top of each layer panel. The global-level selector allows users to select from all visualization types (notifying them whether the different chart types are compatible based on their current visualization configuration). The layer-level selector(s) only show for visualizations that support multiple visualization layers and then only allow users to select from compatible visualizations.

While I can understand the original thought process for the use of two visualization type selectors at different scopes, it doesn’t change the fact that this is incredibly confusing for new users, and adds unnecessary weight to an already weighty interface. I’d like to suggest removing the global-level visualization selector altogether and instead only offering layer-level visualization type selectors. In doing so, we would allow users to select from the full list of visualizations in the layer-level selectors and notify them of any incompatibilities (similar to how we do currently for the global selector).

[elasticmachine]

Pinging @elastic/kibana-visualizations @elastic/kibana-visualizations-external (Team:Visualizations)

[dej611]

How would that work for multiple layers?

[MichaelMarcialis]

How would that work for multiple layers?

@dej611: Exactly how the global visualization selector works when multiple visualization layers are in play. The only difference here is that the user has more control over which layer's configuration would get transferred over to new, incompatible visualization types.

[stratoula]

Yes this makes sense to me. I am not sure if it is confusing to do this per layer but I guess a poc will make it more clear. So for example if I have a bar layer and a line layer I can change the chart type in both layers but any selection except from XY will lose the configuration on both layers

[drewdaemon]

++ this proposal makes sense to me.

[stratoula]

I want to raise the priority here for 2 reasons:

1. We now offer inline editing on all our Lens charts. Instead of having one chart switcher for the XY charts and a generic chart switcher I suggest to merge them in one. I would like to be able to switch among all the different charts that the Lens chart supports.

2. This will be super usefull for ES|QL. Right now we are offering very few suggestions while we could actually allow the users to select among all supported chart types and make the ES|QL usage even more powerful.

I see 2 phases:

Phase 1: Use only the generic chart switcher in the inline editing flyouts
Phase 2: Redesign Lens editor to offer only one switcher.

[MichaelMarcialis]

Additionally, when we get around to removing the "global" visualization selector from Lens (and instead use only layer-level visualization selectors), we should also probably update the current user flow for adding new layers. Currently when the users add a new visualization layer, we immediately add the new layer with the default visualization type selected (vertical bar stacked). Instead, we should have a second level in the "add layer" context menu that allows the user to only add those visualization types that support multiple layers. Happy to provide design support if this description isn't sufficient.

[stratoula]

@mbondyra do you need additional design support from Michael here?

[mbondyra]

I think I can try working on it without the design and ask for feedback later. I like this idea, but I also prefer to tackle it separately from the chart switch issue 🙏🏼