When designed properly, dashboards provide individuals with the most important metrics needed to get their jobs done by efficiently presenting information in a highly consumable manner. Problem areas and opportunities are highlighted, encouraging organizations to take prompt action. However, dashboards rarely live up to their potential because poor design strategy and execution can alternately have a numbing effect on its victims. This "Dashboredom Effect" can easily and swiftly kill hope for any ROI.
Fortunately, the spread of this condition is not imminent. By exposing the contributing factors and root causes, we can avoid the pitfalls of poor design. Account for these five conditions to learn how to treat bad designs and create new dashboards under an umbrella of safety without the threat of Dashboredom infection.
Condition: Tabitosis
It is important for the information in a dashboard to be consumable at a glance. The dashboard is different from typical reports, which are structured so users can spend large amounts of time analyzing and dissecting the data. A dashboard should only show key performance indicators and highlight problem areas. Users need to quickly assess the areas of business in need of immediate attention. To accomplish this, only the most important information should be displayed, and it should all fit on a single screen without forcing users to scroll, tab or otherwise interact with a page.
Unfortunately, system requirement specifications for dashboard solutions usually jam in as many different metrics, perspectives and time periods as sponsors, stakeholders and business analysts can think of. As a result, it becomes impossible to display all this information on a single screen.
A common strategy to deal with large data quantities is to split up the information into different functional areas and use a set of interactive components (like tabs) to provide a base level navigation mechanism for end users, as shown in Figure 1.
Although this approach allows more information to fit into the solution, it also infects the dashboard design by not allowing users to view information at a glance. In fact, as Figure 2 shows, this strategy hides problem areas from users because it forces them to hunt for any performance issues by clicking through the application until they arrive at the precise point of interest.
Although Tabitosis is a common underlying cause of Dashboredom, it is treatable. When designing a dashboard, limit on-screen metrics to only the most critical KPIs. These can be very difficult decisions, but leave any remaining metrics off the dashboard and place them on a scorecard or in static reports instead. Also, get to know the physical constraints of a screen by designing dashboards visually. Translate requirement specifications into a mockup or, better yet, a working prototype, and be sure to consider the screen resolution of potential viewing devices (Web browser, mobile device or tablet).
Condition: Hyperactive Traffic Lighting Syndrome
These days, it seems everything is competing for our attention. The resulting noise is deafening. From billboards to radio ads to television commercials to spam, it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to focus on what is important. Poorly designed dashboards cause the same ailment. One form of noise found in dashboards is the "traffic lighting" technique. The intention is to visually indicate what areas of the business are performing well, poorly, and those that are close to not meeting expectations. Traffic lighting is often rendered as background colors in every data cell or colored icons next to every data value (see an example in Figure 3). Unfortunately, overuse of the color palate adversely impacts one of the primary goals of the dashboard. If the dashboard is supposed to draw attention to poorly performing metrics, drawing attention to other data points creates a self-defeating strategy.
Fortunately, the remedy for Hyperactive Traffic Lighting Syndrome is a relatively simple treatment. Instead of coloring good items green and cautionary items yellow, leave them in their default color state (black, gray, etc.). By coloring only the poorly performing metrics (using a shade of red, as seen in Figure 4), those exceptions will command the attention of the user and will no longer be lost on the screen.
Condition: Glossiosis
Surprisingly enough, Dashboredom can be caused by the over-stimulation of users, but this does not come from rich data perspectives presented in a highly scan-able and consumable format. Instead, over-stimulation often comes from dashboard elements that have been over-styled with distracting graphical treatments. The graphic elements are intended to convey a strong visual brand and style to provide a bit of marketing pizzazz.
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