When creating a Dashboard, it can be easy to get so caught up in the analysis such that some of the fundamentals of dashboard design go out the window (I have certainly been there!). Today, I will outline some of the key fundamental characteristics of a good dashboard, that can be applied to any dashboard on any BI tool!
Firstly, Colour:
Use it sparingly! Colour can be an effective way of highlighting insights and telling a story, but if overused can be distracting and take away from your insights.
Reserve the darkest/brightest colours for highlighting the most important information!
Consistency:
Text sizes should be consistent! Having a different size for Headings, Subheadings, and Text is great, if it is consistent. If one subheading is size 24, and the next subheading is size 20 it creates confusion and gives your dashboard a clunky feel.
Alignment is key! A good dashboard will have consistency in alignment. Not just for text, but for all charts within the dashboard too (see my previous blog on aligning and grouping within Power BI!)
Containers + Whitespace:
Padding, Padding, Padding! The P word. One of the main areas for improvement suggested by the DS coaches during my final interview was to make better use of padding. Without padding, dashboards can look jammed together and appear cluttered. Adding that little bit of space in between charts can greatly improve a viewer's experience.
Dividers can also effectively be used to create space between different sections of your dashboard. Further, they can help with guiding the reader through your story.
Communication:
When creating a dashboard it is very easy to assume that the reader understands what you are trying to convey. This often isn't true. While we as the dashboard creators have spent large amounts of time working with the dataset, and finding insights, our reader's haven't. We can't just assume that they have the same level of knowledge on the subject that we do. Let users know what they are seeing. Point out exactly what is going on.
Further, if your dashboard is interactive, tell the reader! Guide them on how you want them to interact with your dashboard.
One of the beauties of dashboard design is that part of this communication can be facilitated through your use of Colour, Consistency, Containers + Whitespace!
I hope these tips help when creating your next dashboard!
