Creating a dashboard from a conceptual sketch involves more than just technical skills; it demands a thoughtful approach to design and user experience. Here are some tips and best practices based on recent project where we were tasked to take over a dashboard sketch and some reflections that can enhance your future dashboard projects.
1. Contextualise Your Data
- Enrich key metrics with context. Adding historical data or benchmarks provides a comprehensive view, making the data more relatable and understandable.
2. Dynamic Visualisation
- Convert static elements into interactive components. This not only enriches the dashboard but also makes it a more engaging tool for analysis.
3. Facilitate Comparisons
- Consider multi-line charts for showcasing multiple variables. It simplifies comparison, aiding in quicker, more insightful analysis.
4. Enhance Interactivity
- Clearly instruct users on interactive features. Visible guides on how to interact with the dashboard improve the user experience.
5. Focus on Relevance
- Prioritise data that offers the most insight. Sometimes, presenting data as percentages or relative measures can be more impactful than absolute numbers - give context to help tell the full story!
Technical Insight: Embrace unexpected findings, such as a lack of correlation where one was anticipated. These insights can lead to valuable discoveries and can help lead to strategic decisions.
The journey from sketch to a fully realised dashboard is a process of continuous improvement. By adopting these tips and practices, you can create dashboards that are not only visually appealing but also highly functional and user-friendly.