data-visualization

4 posts

naver

This is the First Click (opens in new tab)

This session from NAVER ENGINEERING DAY 2025 explores the implementation of visual data tools to interpret complex user behavior within Naver’s Integrated Search. By transforming raw quantitative click logs into intuitive heatmaps and histograms, the development team provides a clearer understanding of how users navigate and consume content. This approach serves as a critical bridge for stakeholders to find actionable evidence for service improvements that are often obscured by traditional data analysis. ### Visualizing User Intent through Heatmaps and Histograms * Click logs from Naver Integrated Search are converted into heatmaps to pinpoint exactly where users are focusing their attention and making their "first clicks." * Histograms are utilized alongside heatmaps to provide a temporal and frequency-based perspective on user interactions, making it easier to identify patterns in data consumption. * The visualization system aims to help developers and designers who struggle with raw quantitative data to gain an immediate, intuitive grasp of user experience (UX) performance. ### Handling Dynamic Data in Real-Time Search Services * The system is designed to respond to the "real-time evolution" of Naver Search, where content and UI layouts change frequently based on trends and algorithms. * The FE Infrastructure team shared technical know-how on collecting and processing client-side logs to ensure data accuracy even as the search interface evolves. * Significant trial and error were involved in developing a visualization framework that remains consistent and reliable across diverse search result types and user devices. ### Practical Application for Service Improvement * By using heatmaps as a primary diagnostic tool, teams can move beyond speculative design and base UI/UX updates on concrete visual evidence of user friction or engagement. * The technology allows for the identification of "dead zones" or overlooked features that may require repositioning or removal to streamline the search experience. * Integrating these visual tools into the development workflow enables faster feedback loops between data analysis and front-end implementation. For organizations managing high-traffic web platforms, moving from raw data tables to visual behavior mapping is essential for understanding the nuance of user interaction. Implementing a robust heatmap and histogram system allows teams to validate product hypotheses quickly and ensures that service updates are driven by actual user behavior rather than just aggregate metrics.

google

DS-STAR: A state-of-the-art versatile data science agent (opens in new tab)

DS-STAR is an advanced autonomous data science agent developed to handle the complexity and heterogeneity of real-world data tasks, ranging from statistical analysis to visualization. By integrating a specialized file analysis module with an iterative planning and verification loop, the system can interpret unstructured data and refine its reasoning steps dynamically based on execution feedback. This architecture allows DS-STAR to achieve state-of-the-art performance on major industry benchmarks, effectively bridging the gap between natural language queries and executable, verified code. ## Comprehensive Data File Analysis The framework addresses a major limitation of current agents—the over-reliance on structured CSV files—by implementing a dedicated analysis stage for diverse data formats. * The system automatically scans a directory to extract context from heterogeneous formats, including JSON, unstructured text, and markdown files. * A Python-based analysis script generates a textual summary of the data structure and content, which serves as the foundational context for the planning phase. * This module ensures the agent can navigate complex, multi-file environments where critical information is often spread across non-relational sources. ## Iterative Planning and Verification Architecture DS-STAR utilizes a sophisticated loop involving four specialized roles to mimic the workflow of a human expert conducting sequential analysis. * **Planner and Coder:** A Planner agent establishes high-level objectives, which a Coder agent سپس translates into executable Python scripts. * **LLM-based Verification:** A Verifier agent acts as a judge, assessing whether the generated code and its output are sufficient to solve the problem or if the reasoning is flawed. * **Dynamic Routing:** If the Verifier identifies gaps, a Router agent guides the refinement process by adding new steps or correcting errors, allowing the cycle to repeat for up to 10 rounds. * **Intermediate Review:** The agent reviews intermediate results before proceeding to the next step, similar to how data scientists use interactive environments like Google Colab. ## Benchmarking and State-of-the-Art Performance The effectiveness of the DS-STAR framework was validated through rigorous testing against existing agents like AutoGen and DA-Agent. * The agent secured the top rank on the public DABStep leaderboard, raising accuracy from 41.0% to 45.2% compared to previous best-performing models. * Performance gains were consistent across other benchmarks, including KramaBench (39.8% to 44.7%) and DA-Code (37.0% to 38.5%). * DS-STAR showed a significant advantage in "hard" tasks—those requiring the synthesis of information from multiple, varied data sources—demonstrating its superior versatility in complex environments. By automating the time-intensive tasks of data wrangling and verification, DS-STAR provides a robust template for the next generation of AI assistants. Organizations looking to scale their data science capabilities should consider adopting iterative agentic workflows that prioritize multi-format data understanding and self-correcting execution loops.

coupang

Coupang Rocket Delivery’s spatial index-based delivery management system | by Coupang Engineering | Coupang Engineering Blog | Medium (opens in new tab)

Coupang’s Rocket Delivery system recently transitioned from a text-based postal code infrastructure to a sophisticated spatial index-based management system to handle increasing delivery density. By adopting Uber’s H3 hexagonal grid system, the engineering team enabled the visualization and precise segmentation of delivery areas that were previously too large for a single driver to manage. This move has transformed the delivery process into an intuitive, map-centric operation that allows for data-driven optimization and real-time area modifications. ### Limitations of Text-Based Postal Codes * While postal codes provided a government-standardized starting point, they became inefficient as delivery volumes grew from double to triple digits per code. * The lack of spatial data meant that segmenting a single postal code into smaller units, such as individual apartment complexes or buildings, required manual input from local experts familiar with the terrain. * Relying on text strings prevented the system from providing intuitive visual feedback or automated metrics for optimizing delivery routes. ### Adopting H3 for Geospatial Indexing * The team evaluated different spatial indexing systems, specifically comparing Google’s S2 (square-based) and Uber’s H3 (hexagon-based) frameworks. * H3 was chosen because hexagons provide a constant distance between the center of a cell and all six of its neighbors, which simplifies the modeling of movement and coverage. * The hexagonal structure minimizes "edge effect" distortions compared to squares or triangles, making it more accurate for calculating delivery radius and area density. ### Technical Redesign and Implementation * The system utilizes H3’s hierarchical indexing, allowing the platform to store delivery data at various resolutions to balance granularity with computational performance. * Delivery zones were converted from standard polygons into "hexagonized" groups, enabling the system to treat complex geographical shapes as sets of standardized cell IDs. * This transition allowed for the creation of a visual interface where camp leaders can modify delivery boundaries directly on a map, with changes reflected instantly across the logistics chain. By shifting to a spatial index, Coupang has decoupled its logistics logic from rigid administrative boundaries like postal codes. This technical foundation allows for more agile resource distribution and provides the scalability needed to handle the continued growth of high-density urban deliveries.

coupang

Rocket Delivery: New Spatial Indexing- (opens in new tab)

Coupang transitioned its Rocket Delivery management from a text-based zip code system to a spatial index-based system using Uber’s H3 library. This shift addresses the limitations of zip codes, which became too coarse for high-density delivery areas, by enabling precise, map-based visualization and manipulation of delivery zones. By adopting a hexagonal grid-based approach, Coupang has improved operational flexibility and its ability to handle complex urban delivery environments. ### The Limitations of Zip Code Systems * Zip codes originally served as the base unit for Rocket Delivery, but as delivery volumes scaled, individual codes became too large for a single driver to manage. * Sub-dividing these areas (e.g., splitting a zip code into specific apartment complexes or even individual buildings) required the manual expertise of senior managers because text-based addresses lack inherent spatial intelligence. * The previous reliance on text made it difficult to visualize delivery boundaries or reassign areas quickly in response to changes in order volume. ### Implementing H3 for Geospatial Indexing * To modernize the system, Coupang adopted H3, a hexagonal hierarchical geospatial indexing system that converts geographic coordinates into unique cell identifiers. * Hexagons were selected over square grids because they provide uniform distances between the center of a cell and all its neighbors, which minimizes distortion in distance-based calculations. * The system uses H3’s hierarchical structure to manage different levels of detail, allowing the platform to aggregate small hexagonal units into larger, custom-defined delivery polygons. ### Technical Challenges in System Redesign * A primary engineering hurdle was selecting the optimal grid resolution to ensure cells were small enough to capture individual building footprints without creating excessive data overhead. * The team developed algorithms to transform groups of hexagonal indices into filled polygons, enabling camp managers to "draw" and modify delivery zones directly on a digital map. * By basing the system on spatial coordinates rather than administrative text, the platform can dynamically adjust to urban changes, such as the construction of new high-rises or the demolition of old structures. Transitioning from text-based addressing to hexagonal indexing allows logistics platforms to move beyond the constraints of administrative boundaries. For high-density urban delivery services, adopting a spatial-first infrastructure like H3 is a necessary step to ensure scalability and operational precision.