Analyze a Heatmap
Heatmap question output includes several visually-striking and informative view modes, clustering, word clouds, and the ability to create, save, and analyze pins' custom clusters, allowing you to see what respondents reacted to in a flexible visual output.
We apply the industry-standard Kernel Density model to the data, with aytm-specific tuning parameters designed to facilitate quick and easy referencing.
View Modes
Heatmap, Coldmap, Overlay, and Spotlight display layers of density representing the levels within the Kernel Density model.
- Heatmap - heatmap data for all placed pins is displayed over the original picture.
- Coldmap - same data as a heatmap view in a more neutral color palette.
- Overlay - displays heatmap data in multiply mode on black/white image, allowing a clearer view of the original picture "under" heatmap data layer.
- Spotlight - yellow in the areas of high click-density, dark blue for the rest of the image.
Pin view mode allows you to see the exact placement of each pin. The colors you selected in the Survey Editor will match the pin color in the Pin view mode.
- Pins - displays all the pins. The color of the dot equals the pin color.
- Original - displays the original picture without pins.
It is important to note that the default view within your results is a heatmap overlay showing the density of all placed pins and does not distinguish between the different pin types you set in your survey. The color of the original heatmap layers indicates the intensity of the overall pin density and does not reflect the colors of the pins used in the survey. You'll need to "filter by pin types" to view the heatmap for a specific pin type.
Note: at least 20 pins are required for data to be processed and displayed correctly on your results.
Heatmap Filter Options
In the Heatmap interface you can filter by pins or custom clusters.
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Filter by pin types: all checked pin types are displayed on the chart.
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Filter by cluster(s): once clusters are created you will be able to apply the cluster filter, you can now look at the responses from the cluster(s).
You can also globally filter your survey by Pins or Clusters. Click on Funnel icon and scroll to your Heatmap question to find these settings.
Clusters
Once you click on Add A Cluster it will activate the polygon tool to create your first custom cluster. Click in the image to create the first point of your polygon shape. You can drag your cursor to create the lines and click again to create the next point. If, while creating a cluster, the cursor is moved out of the browser window, it will not interrupt the process - cursor can be moved back and the user will be able to finalize the cluster. The shape is randomly assigned a color for the outline - this is not editable.
Continue until you create a closed shape. Give your cluster a name and click Save. You can repeat this process to create new custom clusters

As a cluster is being created, you can see how many pins, comments, and respondents are within that cluster. If a filter is applied to the data set, the form of the custom cluster will not change, but the cluster's data will reflect the filter. For example, this shape includes 429 pins, but if the data set is filtered to females only, it will show 210 pins.
Create any custom shape you want! You can even create overlapping clusters.
Filter or Edit a Cluster
From the “Show all clusters” drop down you can filter the heatmap by a specific cluster or edit a cluster. To edit clusters click on the “Show all clusters” drop down. Click on the pencil icon for the cluster you want to edit.
You can click and move the dots to adjust your shape or rename your filter. Make sure to click Save. Or you can click on the trash icon to delete a cluster.
Open Ended Responses
If you added a mandatory or optional open ended (OE) response to a pin (or pins), you can view and analyze these responses in a few different ways.
View Mode: Pins
Under View Mode: Pins, click on any pin to see an OE response. Any pin with a white dot at the center contains an OE response. To view OE comments within the image, you will need to hide any created clusters. Uncheck the "Show clusters" checkbox to hide created clusters. Then hover over a pin to see a pop-up with the pin's open-ended comment text, if there was a comment.
Word Cloud
Any pin that has an open ended option will have the ability to generate a word cloud in the answer key. Click load Word Cloud to populate and access the settings.
OE Interface
You can click on the OE icon when you are looking at clusters or individual pins to bring up the OE interface. Clicking on the OE icon directly from the Heatmap will filter to only the specific Heatmap question you are analyzing.
Search Functions & Tags
Pins
If you click on the open ended (OE) icon from a pin it will load that one respondent creating a tag with the Response ID.
Clusters
If you click on the OE icon from a cluster the OE interface will only load those specific comments. This creates a search tag that matches the name of the cluster.
Advanced Search
Once you are in the OE interface you can search for additional clusters or keywords. When you put your cursor in the search bar any other created cluster will be suggested automatically. Or you can add additional search criteria to the search bar. To search, click the magnifying glass.
Search Filters & Custom Reports
You can create a filter based on a search. Click on the three dot menu on the right, then Create filter. This will populate the custom filter under the advanced filter icon. You will need to “click here to apply filters” to reload the page before you can save this filter as a custom report.
Export
You can export the X & Y coordinates and open ended comments in any of the Excel exports.
Additional Resources