5 Quick Tips for Quality Dashboards
It is easy to look at a data set and become overwhelmed, as all the data may look important and relevant. Businesses now rely on their data to quickly gain insight and make data driven decisions. Consider this when deciding what kind of data to include on your Quickbase dashboards: Are your end users able to act on the data presented to them?
1. Less Is More
Keep your dashboards clean! Before introducing a newly designed dashboard to end users, take the 'at-a-glance' test. Look at your dashboard for a few minutes. What are you able to understand and absorb during that initial time?
Including charts and graphs on your dashboard can help a viewer understand things more quickly. But remember less is more. Don't fill it with too many reports- some are good, but too many can be overwhelming. Use buttons or a tab to display additional/more granular information.
2. Get Organized
Organize your dashboard using tabs and buttons to drill down for additional and more easily consumed information.
Use filters to drive insights. Choose visuals (charts and graphs) that display information in a simple, concise way for an end user to understand.
Color can be used to draw attention to important information. For example, red colorization for overdue or cancelled records, green for on time or on track.
This can quickly guide the eyes of the End User to records. Overdue tasks and project deadlines, or an important status, are good examples of when to use colorization.
4. Picture the End User
Picture yourself as your end users. Will the dashboard make sense? Will they find it useful and informative based on their role and responsibilities?
Guide and educate! Include instructions with Rich text widgets and ensure report titles properly describe the data being viewed.
What's your onboarding plan? How will new end users be enabled to make use of this dashboard?
Will you include a mechanism for ongoing feedback as end users onboard and begin to use the new dashboard experience?
5. Don't Stop Improving!
The best part about Quickbase is that it can evolve and grow with you as your company and needs change. You should be regularly checking what is working an what is not working, and continuously make improvements to encourage the desired behavior.
What are some tips that you have found useful when building effective dashboards? Comment below!
