Graph workspace configuration flow

[flash1293]

Currently the user is not guided towards the various places to configure a workspace to start exploring their data.

The following steps are necessary:

• Selecting an index pattern as data source
• Configuring one or multiple vertex types
• Submitting a search query to fetch data

For new workspaces the data source selection can be done like in Visualize today with a modal

It's unclear how exactly the user is prompted to do step 2 and 3. The "add new vertex type" button should be more prominent.

cc @cchaos @miukimiu @monfera @shaunmcgough @rayafratkina

[elasticmachine]

Pinging @elastic/kibana-app

[flash1293]

@cchaos Instead of showing the saved object finder in a modal, what about showing it in a popover under the index pattern chooser, but initially expanded if the user is just opening a new workspace. This should also be hard to miss.

[cchaos]

I'm not sure that it would be hard to miss. Popovers are easily dismissed just by clicking anywhere outside of it. Users could easily double click into the app and only see a quick flash of the popover and never really seeing it. I like the ability to force users to make a selection via the modal since they can't do anything else before they've chosen a data source.

[flash1293]

Makes sense, thanks. I will use the modal and put up a PR

[shaunmcgough]

@cchaos could we have the modal be optional, e.g. could we have an 'x' or a 'close' button (or both), and also perhaps an option to 'never show this again'? I want to ensure a clean experience for getting started, but also for people that are power users, not having to be bothered all the time by modals. Just a thought, and please let me know what you think is best from a design perspective.

[flash1293]

We could offer an option to just pick the default index pattern, the question is whether this is a local user setting (that could get lost) or an advanced setting (persisted, but shared within the space and the user might not have the rights necessary to set it) or a system wide kibana.yml setting (probably not the right thin, has to be set by a system admin)

[cchaos]

@shaunmcgough Can you tell me why the application should ever be in a state where the data source has not been selected? I didn't think there was anything you could do with the application until one has been selected. That's why I'd force it.

[flash1293]

I think you are right @cchaos - but just selecting the default index pattern instead of showing the modal on a new workspace has a use case - we are basically doing the same for Lens.

It should not be the default IMHO.

[cchaos]

If we completely skip the modal and auto-select the default index pattern, then we'll just have to make it super obvious where to change the index pattern.

[flash1293]

Yeah, I'm not sure how to make it obvious enough to hit our "Getting started is super easy" target. I think in most cases Graph users have multiple index patterns and will have to pick before starting, so it makes sense to have the modal there. Before we discuss it to death I would say let's give it a shot with 7.5 and then we can ask some users about the flow. What do you think, @shaunmcgough ?

[shaunmcgough]

@flash1293 the default index option is a nice thing. We are doing that in Canvas, and will avoid a lot of headaches with this. I would like also like to save the state of the last opened graph, whereby this modal would not be necessary: It would be bypassed. I agree with you and @cchaos that the modal should always be shown and required to select a data source before loading the graph.

[shaunmcgough]

heyo. @miukimiu and i had a call about using this workflow tool to help guide this. It's a WIP so please offer any feedback.

[cchaos]

Whimsical is a great tool! But that link doesn't go anywhere.

[shaunmcgough]

I think I may needed to have enable public sharing, which is now done :).

[flash1293]

Closed by #45547