EXCEL (DASHBOARD) CONTROL PANEL INSTRUCTIONS AND SAMPLE FILES
The Excel (Dashboard) control panel allows you to see all important parameters that you monitor in business on one screen. We should certainly not forget the definition: “A dashboard is a visual representation of the most important information needed to achieve a goal or goals.” Consolidated and organized on one screen for one view.” if you want to delve deeper into this topic do so from Stephen Few father of the dashboard.
Now I have to say that in the “endless” sea of websites you can find just as many smart tips on how to make a good Excel dashboard. A lot of that content more or less states the basic principles. Which should be followed when creating a dashboard. That’s why I will list here those principles that, in our opinion, are sufficient to create a control panel.
Creating an Excel (Dashboard) control panel
Keep in mind that you don’t have to be a designer to create a useful dashboard, so keep in mind:
- Auditorium – for whom it is intended;
- Which information is important and which is desirable;
- Display numbers in thousands. million billion;
- Group information;
- Avoid decorative elements but use red and green to let the audience know if it’s okay or not;
Best practices for dashboard design
So we strive for a dashboard design that displays actionable metrics from real-time data sources and displays business goals in a single window.
It sounds quite challenging, and it is. But with these basic dashboard design tips, you’ll be presenting your data professionally in no time.
Determine the purpose of the dashboard
To accurately display information on a dashboard, you must first determine the purpose it will serve. Dashboards are divided into several categories based on their purpose. The broadest and most common categories are analytical dashboards and operational dashboards. They can also have a narrower category, such as financial dashboards, sales dashboards , and even strategic dashboards.
The main goal of operational dashboards is to quickly and clearly convey relevant information to users who need to take immediate action. They are time sensitive and help users to be proactive and efficient.
Dashboard Example: This Shopifi + Google Analytics dashboard was created to track the achievement of sales goals. From it, you can easily read data about your website’s active users, total sales and sales goals, conversion rate, and more – all in one window.
Analytical dashboards, on the other hand, are less time-sensitive and focus on helping readers analyze trends, make the most of data, and drive decision-making . These two categories can have two completely different approaches to dashboard design.
When designing any of these dashboard formats, think about what users expect to see. If their focus is on time-sensitive data, choose appropriate metrics with a visual-first approach without going into too much detail.
On the other hand, if your dashboard is analytical and used to drive business strategies, you can afford to go into more detail.
Simple shape
For a great dashboard design, one of the main goals is to present relevant information in a simple and easy-to-understand form.
So don’t present too much information or use multiple columns to do this. Get rid of all the redundant information. Use white space, leaving just enough for the viewer to understand the structure of the data.
Consistency – type solution
Your overall dashboard design must remain consistent. Once you determine the purpose of the dashboard, establish its visual hierarchy and form, you cannot suddenly change these rules. Data is only one part of the overall consistency. You can’t control what marketing channels produce as data, but you can control how you design and present relevant data.
Consistency comes in many forms. Little things like following consistent date formatting and naming conventions can make things easier for the user. Presenting data in line charts, pie charts, radar charts , and bar charts of the same style will also help the user process the data more accessible.
Vicinity
To help readers understand information more easily and quickly, you should display related details closer together instead of scattering them all over the dashboard.
Harmonization
Dashboard elements should be coordinated with each other for a balanced look that allows for a good user experience. Grids allow you to achieve effective consistency and alignment and create a template for your dashboard design.
Example dashboard: here you see a perfectly aligned grid. 2/3 of the dashboard shows performance over a longer period of time across different dimensions. The 1/3 of the dashboard on the right is neatly stacked to display only the most relevant statistics needed for insight.
Space
Spacing plays an important role in the design of your dashboard. It allows the reader to take a break from looking at all the information and leaves more time to process the data. Using white space prevents clutter and helps you visually group related information. You may have heard it referred to as negative space.
Color
Color plays a significant role in effective dashboard design. Choosing the right colors and using maximum contrast can help you guide the reader through information in a simple and easy-to-understand way. It can make content easier to read. So, take care of contrasting colors and avoid using ineffective gradients.
Fontovi
Unless there is a reason to use a specific font, use the standard ones for dashboard content. They are easier to scan, read and understand. Don’t use ALL caps as it makes it harder to read.
So, choose a standard font of an appropriate size to present the information. Fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, Roboto and Calibri will do the trick.
Number formats
Use round numbers instead of long numbers whenever possible to avoid confusing the reader. Don’t forget to add the note that “numbers may not add up due to rounding”. It’s a simple way to explain why sometimes pie charts don’t contain a hundred or so cases.
Labels
Rotated labels are generally harder to read and absorb for the human mind. So use labels that communicate information quickly and efficiently. Standard abbreviations should be used whenever possible.
Dashboard Example: In this LinkedIn dashboard, all the numbers and charts are labeled with a word or two. This makes the dashboard look uncluttered and less intimidating, while still providing essential information.
Personalization and customization
Readers expect to find relevant information on their dashboard, and two techniques that make this happen are personalization and customization.
Personalization is when you create a dashboard design that adheres to your client’s brand image. This could mean adding a logo design , choosing appropriate chart colors, or adding specific labels to metrics or channels.
Customization is adjusting the dashboard design to display relevant data and various key metrics. This may mean rearranging the dashboard assets to present the data in a different way. Or select and highlight different KPIs to suit the client’s interest.
When designing dashboards, both personalization and customization should work in tandem.
Tables or lists of data
Integrating data tables is useful when you have a lot of information for different items to present. They are the best way to present information such as a list of clients with their ID, last activity, contacts, status, etc.
Data tables provide easy scalability, good space utilization and can make the design process less complicated. They are easy to work with, as most people have experience working with Microsoft Excel. Just make tables and lists less intimidating!
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Dashboards should deliver complex data in a simple way that would save time and effort. They should be structured in a way that will maintain a visual hierarchy. Whether or not it will serve this purpose depends on the design of the dashboard, which should be goal and user oriented.
While every dashboard has a unique goal, limitations, and requirements, following these best practices will help you create great dashboard designs.
To avoid Dashboard – Beginner mistakes , see the text of the same name on our website.
