{"id":2544,"date":"2025-01-25T15:49:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T08:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/?p=2544"},"modified":"2025-02-19T09:49:59","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T02:49:59","slug":"2544","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/?p=2544","title":{"rendered":"How to design and build a great dashboard"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><strong>How to design and build a great dashboard<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a designer to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geckoboard.com\/blog\/how-to-build-a-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>build a dashboard<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that clearly communicates your key goals and metrics. Whether you\u2019re just getting started or have a dashboard in need of a rethink, our dashboard design checklist will help you achieve the results you\u2019re after.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Be clear about what you&#8217;re trying to achieve<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 your board\u2019s purpose will inform its design<\/li>\n<li><strong>Only include what\u2019s important<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 everything should support your board\u2019s intent<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use size and position to show hierarchy<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 make it clear to the viewer what\u2019s most important<\/li>\n<li><strong>Give your numbers context<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 help your viewers know if a number\u2019s good or bad<\/li>\n<li><strong>Group your related metrics<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 make your metrics easy to find<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be consistent<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 using the same visualizations and layouts makes comparing easier<\/li>\n<li><strong>Use clear labels for your audience<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 keep them short and self explanatory<\/li>\n<li><strong>Round your numbers<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 too much detail could make minor changes seem major<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep evolving your dashboards<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 check that your dashboard is encouraging the right behaviour<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Be clear about what you\u2019re trying to achieve<\/p>\n<p>The first step to designing any dashboard is to clearly define what you\u2019re trying to achieve. What\u2018s the purpose of your dashboard? Who\u2019s it for? What do you want them to do differently because of it?<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps you\u2019re trying to focus your team on a specific goal, or show them how they contribute to the bigger picture. Or maybe you want to make sure a particular type of problem gets noticed quicker. These are all good purposes to keep in mind.<\/p>\n<p>For inspiration, explore these examples:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geckoboard.com\/dashboard-examples\/company\/\"><strong>Company-wide<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geckoboard.com\/dashboard-examples\/marketing-sales\/\"><strong>Marketing &amp; Sales<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geckoboard.com\/dashboard-examples\/support\/\"><strong>Support<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.geckoboard.com\/dashboard-examples\/product\/\"><strong>Product<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Include only the most important content<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"597\" class=\"wp-image-2545\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-diagram-showing-that-less-is-more.jpeg\" alt=\"Dashboard design diagram showing that less is more\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-diagram-showing-that-less-is-more.jpeg 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-diagram-showing-that-less-is-more-300x153.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-diagram-showing-that-less-is-more-1024x524.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-diagram-showing-that-less-is-more-768x393.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Content is key when it comes to dashboarding. If you\u2019re not showing useful metrics then it doesn\u2019t matter how you arrange them.<\/p>\n<p>Often you\u2019ll already have some goals and KPIs defined, and adding those is a great starting point. Just remember, everything should tie back to the purpose of your board.<\/p>\n<p>Every inch on your TV dashboard is valuable real-estate. Adding too much information can detract from what\u2019s important and make everything harder to find. If you\u2019re really struggling to fit everything in then you may need more than one dashboard.<\/p>\n<p>When putting any metric on your dashboard you should make sure they:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Match the purpose of your board<\/li>\n<li>Can be influenced by your team<\/li>\n<li>Can be easily understood<\/li>\n<li>Change reasonably often (you don\u2019t want to be staring at numbers that never change)<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t vary so much that you can\u2019t easily detect trends<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Break the rules<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Your dashboard doesn\u2019t have to be totally utilitarian. The most important thing is that it\u2019s engaging, so it\u2019s ok to inject some fun. If including recent tweets, a stream of new deals, or cat GIFs encourages your team to look at the board more frequently then that\u2019s a good thing. Just don\u2019t go too wild.<\/p>\n<p>Use size and position to show hierarchy<\/p>\n<p>Dashboards need hierarchy to be easy to scan. Use size and position to give emphasize the most important information and to downplay metrics that need to be looked at less frequently. Consistent sizes and clear relationships between elements will help create patterns and visual flow.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of positioning, the top left corner of your dashboard is the best location as that\u2019s where your eyes are naturally drawn to first.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t be afraid of empty space. It\u2019s better to leave a gap than to make something bigger just to fill it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"652\" class=\"wp-image-2546\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/using-size-and-position-on-your-dashboard.png\" alt=\"Using size and position on your dashboard\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/using-size-and-position-on-your-dashboard.png 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/using-size-and-position-on-your-dashboard-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/using-size-and-position-on-your-dashboard-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/using-size-and-position-on-your-dashboard-768x429.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Give your numbers context<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To know if a number\u2019s good or bad your viewers need context. Would they know, for instance, that 42 new leads today is out of the ordinary?<\/p>\n<p>One of the easiest ways to do this is to include past data. You could include the same metric for the previous day, or even a line or column chart showing how the metric tracks over a longer period of time. Another technique is to include the average or previous highs and lows.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re working towards a goal, include the target as well as your current progress.<\/p>\n<p>You can also add warnings for when a metric is above or below a certain threshold to make it easier to spot problems.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"577\" class=\"wp-image-2547\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/giving-your-dashboard-context-with-past-data.png\" alt=\"Giving your dashboard context with past data\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/giving-your-dashboard-context-with-past-data.png 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/giving-your-dashboard-context-with-past-data-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/giving-your-dashboard-context-with-past-data-1024x506.png 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/giving-your-dashboard-context-with-past-data-768x380.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Group your related metrics<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Positioning the information on your dashboard logically is essential. Grouping related metrics next to each other makes them easy to find \u2014 and makes your dashboard&#8217;s design more attractive.<\/p>\n<p>There are many different ways to group e.g. by metric, product, brand, campaign, region, team or even time period. You may need to experiment with which is most appropriate for your board.<\/p>\n<p>Giving groups a title makes them easier to spot.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"577\" class=\"wp-image-2548\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/grouping-related-information-on-your-dashboard.png\" alt=\"Grouping related information on your dashboard\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/grouping-related-information-on-your-dashboard.png 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/grouping-related-information-on-your-dashboard-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/grouping-related-information-on-your-dashboard-1024x506.png 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/grouping-related-information-on-your-dashboard-768x380.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Be consistent<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With many dashboards you\u2019ll find there\u2019s an element of repetition, for example you might be showing the same set of metrics for multiple things. Your dashboard will be far easier to read if you use the same visualizations and layouts between groups. It will also look far more pleasing, so avoid the temptation to use a line chart instead of a column just to spice things up.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"577\" class=\"wp-image-2549\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/designing-your-dashboard-with-consistent-visualiza.png\" alt=\"Designing your dashboard with consistent visualizations\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/designing-your-dashboard-with-consistent-visualiza.png 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/designing-your-dashboard-with-consistent-visualiza-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/designing-your-dashboard-with-consistent-visualiza-1024x506.png 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/designing-your-dashboard-with-consistent-visualiza-768x380.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Use clear labels your audience will understand<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A key part of your dashboard are the labels that describe each metric or chart. They should be self explanatory, and unambiguous for your viewers At the same time, you should try and keep them as short as possible to avoid cluttering up your board and getting in the way of the data.<\/p>\n<p>Abbreviations can be helpful too (as long as your audience understand them) e.g. \u201c7d\u201d instead of \u201c7 days\u201d. Symbols like \u2018%\u2019 can replace the word. You may also get away with a shorter definition for a metric if people are already familiar with it.<\/p>\n<p>Headings can also be used to reduce repetition. Imagine you have the same metric for different time frames e.g. signups today, signups this month etc. If they\u2019re all grouped under a heading called \u201cSignups\u201d you don\u2019t need to repeat it each time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Round your numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When displaying numbers, don\u2019t include more precision than you need. Showing your conversion rate to 3 decimal places or your revenue to the nearest cent when you only care about much bigger changes just distracts from what\u2019s important. Plus, including too much detail can make a mountain out of a molehill.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1167\" height=\"577\" class=\"wp-image-2550\" src=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-tips-diagram-about-rounding-numbe.png\" alt=\"Dashboard design tips diagram about rounding numbers\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-tips-diagram-about-rounding-numbe.png 1167w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-tips-diagram-about-rounding-numbe-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-tips-diagram-about-rounding-numbe-1024x506.png 1024w, https:\/\/mintea.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/dashboard-design-tips-diagram-about-rounding-numbe-768x380.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1167px) 100vw, 1167px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Keep evolving your dashboards<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Our final piece of dashboard design advice is the most important. Once you\u2019ve built your dashboard don\u2019t just leave it. Ask you team for feedback.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What do they look at most often or find most useful, and why?<\/li>\n<li>What do they never look at or find least useful, and why?<\/li>\n<li>Is there anything missing that they\u2019d find useful?<\/li>\n<li>Has it changed anything about the way they work?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Use this feedback to iterate your dashboard. Check your dashboard is driving the behaviour you intended. Step back from your board every now and then and look at how all the elements work together. Remind yourself what information you\u2019re primarily trying to get across and how effectively those important elements stand out.<\/p>\n<p>As your goals and priorities change, make sure you update your board so it acts as the heartbeat for whatever you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p>Other resources<\/p>\n<p>See these dashboard design tips in action in this article:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/?p=2554\"><strong>Dashboard design principles in practice, with real dashboard examples<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to design and build a great dashboard You don\u2019t need to be a designer to\u00a0build a dashboard\u00a0that clearly communicates your key goals and metrics. Whether you\u2019re just getting started or have a dashboard in need of a rethink, our dashboard design checklist will help you achieve the results you\u2019re after. Be clear about what &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/?p=2544\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">How to design and build a great dashboard<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[32,79,43,26,78],"class_list":["post-2544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bookmarked-articles","tag-analytic","tag-bi","tag-dashboard","tag-data","tag-visualization"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2544"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2566,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2544\/revisions\/2566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mintea.blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}