Design Principles of Excel Dashboard
Design Principles of Excel Dashboard
ignPr
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Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
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hboar
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GetY
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ateofMi
nd
Bes
tPr
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orEx
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Das
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Wit
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ogi
estoBil
lyJoel,
inExc el
,thediffer
encesbetween
bui
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hboarda ndcreat
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S
hal
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BUTFI
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ons
…
Des
ignPr
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ipl
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hboar
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De ni
ngDas
hboar
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I
tisn’
tdiffic ulttous erepor t
andda shboa rdintercha ngeabl
y.
I
nfa c
t, t
hel inebet weenr eports
andda shboa rdsfrequent lyget
s
muddi ed.Itisc ommont os ee
r
eport si
na cc uratelyreferredto
as“
da shboa rds ”j
us tbec ause
t
heyi ncludeaf ewc harts.
Des
ignPr
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hboar
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Repor
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•Adocumentthatcontai
nsdat
aus
edf
orr
eadi
ng
orvi
ewi
ng.
•Assi
mpl
easadat
atabl
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ompl
exasa
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ubt
otal
edviewwithinter
ac t
ivedri
lldowns,si
mil
ar
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oExc
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sSubtot
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unctional
it
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•Oftenal
lowf
ort
heendus
erst
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ythei
rown
j
udgmentandanal
ysi
stot
hedat
a.
Des
ignPr
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hboar
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Exampl
eofaRepor
t
Thi
srepor
tshowstheNa t
ionalParkovernightvi
si
torstat
is
ti
cs
byperi
od;not
ethati
tisn’
tsteeri
ngt hereaderi
na nypredened
j
udgmentoranaly
sis
.Itsi
mpl ypresentstheaggr
ega t
edda t
a.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
AndWhat
’saDas
hboar
d?
Avi
suali
nter
fac
et hatpr
ovi
desat-a
-glancev
iewsi
ntokey
measur
esrel
evanttoapart
icul
arobjec
tiv
eorbusi
nesspr
oces
s.
Des
ignPr
inc
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elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
Das
hboar
dshave3MAI
NATTRI
BUTES
They
..
.
1Typicallygraphicalinnature,providingvisualizations
t
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pfocusa
ttent
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eyt
rends
,compa
ris
ons
,
a
nde xc
epti
ons
2Oftendisplayonlydatathatarerelevanttothegoalof
t
heda
shboa
rd
3Containpredenedconclusionsthatrelievetheenduser
r
fom perf
ormi
nghi
sowna na
lys
is(
giv
enthatda
shboa
rds
a
redesignedwi
thaspec
icpurposeorgoa
l)
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
Here’
sabestpract
icesexampl
e
ofadashboard.
Seet
hediffer
ence?Good!
You’
r
eeasi
ngint
oaDa
shboa
rdS
tat
e
ofMi
nd.Now,PREPAREFORGREATNESS!
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
Si
mpl
if
y!
Howma nyt
imeshassomeonetol
dyouthatyourr
epor
tsl
ook“
bus
y”?
St
ephenFew’
sma nt
ra:“
Simpli
fy,
Simpl
ify
, Si
mpli
fy”
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
BeAnt
i-
Clut
ter
Don’
ttur
nyourdas
hboar
dint
oadat
arepos
itor
y!
Admitit.Youi
ncludeasmuc h
i
nforma t
ionontoareportasposs
ibl
e,
pri
ma ri
lytoavoi
dbeinga s
kedfor
addi
tionalinf
ormati
on.Wea l
ldoit
.
Butint
heda s
hboardstat
eofmind,
youhaveto ghttheurgetofor
ce
ever
ypieceofdat
aa v
ail
ableonto
yourdas
hboards
.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
Keepi
tCl
ean
Avoi
dthef
anc
yfor
mat
ting
Avoidus
ingcol
orsorbac
kgr
ound l
lst
opar
tit
ion
yourdas
hboards.
De-emphasi
zeborder
s,backgr
ounds,
andot
her
el
ementsthatde nedashboar
dareas
.
Avoidappl
yingfancyeffect
ssuchasgradi
ent
s,
patt
ernl l
s,shadows,gl
ows,s
oftedges,
andotherf
ormat t
ing.
Don’
ttrytoenhanc
eyourdas
hboar
dswi
thc
lipar
t
orpi
ctures
.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
LeanonLayout
Us
elayoutandpl
acementt
odr
awf
ocus
I
nsteadofusingbri
ghtcol
orsor
ex
aggerateds i
zi
ngdiffer
ences,
l
everageloca
t i
onandplac
ement
t
odr a
wf ocustothemostimporta
nt
c
omponent sony ourdas
hboard.
AF ASCINATINGANDTRUEF ACT:
Studi
ess howthatuser
spa y
parti
cul
a rat
tent
iontothe
upper-l
eftandmi ddl
e-l
eft
ofadoc ument.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
For
matNumber
sEffec
tivel
y
ShowThi
s,NotThat
Alwaysus
ecommast omakenumberseas
iert
oread.
SHOW THIS:
2,345NOTTHAT:2345
Onlyusedeci
malpl
acesi
fthatlevelofpr
ec i
sionisr
equir
ed;t
here’
s
rar
elyabene tf
ors
howingthedec i
malplacesinadol
laramount.
SHOW THIS:
$123NOTTHAT: $123.45
Li
kewisei
nperc
entages
,useonlyt
hemi
nimum number
ofdec
imals.
SHOW THI
S:43% NOTTHAT:43.
21%
For
matver
ylargenumberst
ot hethous
andsormi
ll
ionspl
ace.
SHOW THI
S:17M NOTTHAT:16,906,
714
Des
ignPr
inc
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elDas
hboar
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ts
For
matNumber
sEffec
tivel
y
ShowThi
s,NotThat
Onlyus ethedoll
arsymbol whenyouneedt oclar
if
ythat
you’r
er ef
erri
ngtomonet aryvalues.Ifyouhaveachart
ortablethatcont
ainsallrevenuevalues,andther
e’sa
labelcl
earlyst
ati
ngt hi
s,youc ansaveroom andpixel
s
byleavingoutthedol l
arsymbol .
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
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ts
Ti
ght
enTi
tl
es
Al
waysi
ncl
udeat
imes
tamponyourr
epor
tingmec
hani
sms
.
Alwaysi
ncl
udesometextindi
cat
ingwhent
hedat
afor
themeasur
eswasret
rieved.
Us
edes
cri
pti
vet
itl
esf
oreac
hcomponentonyourdas
hboar
d.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
Label
Effec
tivel
y
I
tmayseem c
ount
eri
ntui
ti
ve,
but:
de-
empha
s i
zel
abel
sbyf
orma
tti
ng
t
hem t
ohuesli
ght
erthant
heonesus
edf
oryourdat
a.
Light
lycol
oredlabel
sgiveyourus
ersthei
nfor
mation
theyneedwithoutdi
str
acti
ngthem f
rom t
heinfor
mation
displ
ayed.
I
dealc
olor
sforl
abelsarecol
orscommonl
yfoundi
nnat
ure:
s
oftgr
ays,br
owns,blues,
andgreens
.
Des
ignPr
inc
ipl
esofExc
elDas
hboar
ds&Repor
ts
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nMor
e
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opyt
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