Showing status at a glance.
WHAT A DASHBOARD IS FOR
Answering a small number of questions quickly.
WHAT IT IS NOT FOR
Displaying everything available.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
What decisions it supports.
WHAT TO SHOW
A few figures that matter, each with a comparison An indication of anything requiring attention
WHY COMPARISONS
A number alone means nothing.
WHAT TO PUT FIRST
The most important thing.
People read the top and stop.
WHAT TO AVOID
Charts chosen for appearance Metrics nobody acts on Density that requires study
WHAT TO PROVIDE
A route from a summary to the detail behind it.
WHAT TO DESIGN
The state before any data exists The state when something has failed to load
WHAT TO TEST
Whether someone can say what needs attention, in seconds.
WHAT TO REVIEW
Whether anyone actually looks at it.
If not, it is answering the wrong questions.
