In the modern world, data reigns supreme. The best-designed dashboards, therefore, strike a tricky balance between being aesthetically pleasing and actionable.
Dashboards help showcase trends in key performance indicators (KPIs) and business performance. They are also a great way to divulge crucial insights from data.
However, for dashboards to be properly designed, the data source(s) have to be clean and reliable. Even if you design the most aesthetically pleasing dashboard based on untrustworthy data, then it’s not helpful.
In this article, we delve into the world of best-designed dashboards. We begin by defining them and learning why they’re important. We’ll then look at the benefits of using a well-designed dashboard.
We’ll explore the elements of a well-designed dashboard and the best practices to follow when designing one.
We’ll also discuss how to design the best dashboard in Power BI. Eventually, respond to questions you might still have about the best-designed dashboards.
The best dashboard summarizes key insights and trends for the target audience. The summary is done in a user-friendly and easy-to-understand way.
Here are other characteristics of the best dashboard:
The best-designed dashboards are a great tool in every business’ arsenal. This is because they:
There are several benefits to using a well-designed dashboard. These include:
The best-designed dashboards share some key elements, including:
There are a few things to keep in mind when designing the best dashboard. These include:
The audience that you are designing the dashboard for will determine crucial aspects. These include the data sources you go with or the metrics or KPIs to focus on.
The goal a dashboard intends to achieve will help you know how to package your data story. If you want to showcase revenue in real time, for example, you’ll know what important aspects to highlight.
Even the best-designed web analytics dashboards won’t be helpful if you do not have trustworthy data. Always work with reliable data sources. You also need to transform your data before creating your dashboard.
Ensure that you use colors, gradients, fonts, and logos that align with the company’s brand. This helps to keep your dashboard consistent.
Add features to help your audience further interact with the dashboard. These include slicers, filtering, and drill-through.
All of the datasets you use for your dashboards can use your ETL processes if you streamline them.
Ensure that your dashboards are not crowded. This allows the audience to focus better on the visualizations.
In this section, we learn more about Power BI dashboard design for the best-designed dashboards. We’ll use the Sankey Diagram (Sankey Chart) as a Power BI business dashboard example.
Shopping_mall | Gender | Category | Payment method | Quantity |
Kanyon | Female | Clothing | Credit Card | 5 |
Forum Istanbul | Male | Shoes | Debit Card | 3 |
Metrocity | Male | Clothing | Cash | 1 |
Metropol AVM | Female | Shoes | Credit Card | 5 |
Kanyon | Female | Books | Cash | 4 |
Forum Istanbul | Female | Clothing | Credit Card | 5 |
Istinye Park | Female | Cosmetics | Cash | 1 |
Mall of Istanbul | Female | Clothing | Credit Card | 2 |
Metrocity | Male | Clothing | Credit Card | 3 |
Kanyon | Female | Clothing | Credit Card | 2 |
Metrocity | Female | Food & Beverage | Cash | 2 |
Emaar Square Mall | Female | Books | Credit Card | 1 |
Metrocity | Female | Toys | Debit Card | 4 |
Cevahir AVM | Male | Clothing | Cash | 2 |
Kanyon | Female | Clothing | Credit Card | 2 |
Viaport Outlet | Male | Shoes | Credit Card | 5 |
Metrocity | Male | Books | Debit Card | 2 |
Zorlu Center | Female | Food & Beverage | Credit Card | 3 |
Metropol AVM | Female | Clothing | Cash | 2 |
Cevahir AVM | Male | Toys | Cash | 4 |
Emaar Square Mall | Male | Clothing | Credit Card | 1 |
Cevahir AVM | Female | Food & Beverage | Cash | 1 |
Cevahir AVM | Male | Clothing | Credit Card | 2 |
To create an impactful dashboard, you need to have the following in mind:
There are many tools that you can use for your dashboards. These include:
The significance of well-designed dashboards in today’s data-driven world cannot be ignored.
These data visualization tools are invaluable assets to organizations across various industries. They empower users to make informed decisions, foster transparency, enhance productivity, and gain a competitive edge.
Good dashboard design offers a comprehensive platform for data communication through the utilization of key elements. Key elements include data visualizations, user-friendly design, and security measures.
Users can access critical information quickly and delve deeper to uncover key insights. In doing so, they have a better understanding of trends and KPIs. This leads to more efficient operations and strategic choices.
Great dashboard design is the driving force behind an organization’s ability to harness the power of data. This makes dashboards indispensable in the quest for success and innovation.