A dashboard can accumulate charts because each number is available. The result may require the reader to invent the connection between the displays and the work they are meant to support.
Name the questions the page should help answer. Group related measures and give each chart a clear definition. Include the last update time and any meaningful gaps so the reader understands the information’s current limits.
Try using the dashboard for one ordinary decision. Remove a chart that adds no context, or add an explanation where a number repeatedly causes confusion. The useful design is the one that helps a reader interpret and act with an appropriate level of confidence.
- Name the questions the dashboard supports.
- Keep definitions and update context visible.
- Review it through one ordinary decision.
A small working example.
Consider a dashboard crowded with counts but no stated purpose. Naming the decision each section supports can reveal which figures are unnecessary.
A note to keep beside it.
Treat an unexpected value as the start of an investigation. Its source and context matter before you decide whether to remove it or build a story around it.
Follow a related question
Distinguish an amount from a rate.
Energy and power answer different questionsAsk which situations the examples cover.
Examples shape the model’s taskKeep learning
Related background to continue exploring this subject.
NIST: statistical engineering W3C: accessibility, usability, and inclusion
