Hi, I’m Sara (part of DS14). I thought it would be helpful to share some top tips when creating a dashboard on Tableau

1) Have a clear idea/ understanding on what you want to visualise. Ask yourself a few key questions:

– What story do I want to tell?

– What are the key points/ outliers?

– What’s the question/title?

– Why is this data important?

– How would my visualisation aid comprehension?  

Once you know what you want to visualise and what story you want to share, you’re then ready to start.

2) Before using Tableau, try drawing your viz out on a piece of paper or use post-it notes to jot down your ideas. This really helps you think of key concepts and provides focus, so you don’t go off on a tangent.

3) Be consistent and avoid clutter. It’s very easy to put every chart/ graph you created on one dashboard, but don’t fall into this trap. Ask yourself, does this data help answer my question or does it add value/ additional context, if the answer is no then don’t include it.

4) Don’t use too many colours #TheRainbowEffect. Too many colours or bright bold colours makes it difficult to digest key information, so try using a simple colour palette to emphasise key findings. Also try having the viz in one view and avoid underlining text.

5) Go to Tableau Public for inspiration and show your viz to family members or friends. Ask for feedback, if they didn’t understand or gain insights then you’ll probably need to make some adjustments. Keep it clear and simple.

I hope this helped 😊