Important tips for crafting a useful and professional dashboard

Excel is a program widely used by business managers in various segments. In addition to allowing users an informative content organization, it can be further enhanced when we add a dashboard to it.

After all, what is a Dashboard?

In simple translation, a dashboard is a dashboard (or dashboard). The key indicators and graphs are compiled on a single screen, easily accessible, handled and viewed.

The control panel organizes information content better, giving them a more professional and interactive design. All presented results can be more easily analyzed allowing a better decision making. Here are some important tips on what to do and what not to do when building a useful and professional dashboard.

Creating dashboard - what not to do

It is very important to consider some information of what not to do when mounting a dashboard. They will allow it to function properly and obey the functions actually needed.

1) Do not add too many colors

The main purpose of dashboards is to demonstrate, in an organized way, the data needed to optimize decision making. Colors are important, but only to give the dashboard a more pleasing look. Adding many different, vibrant color shades will leave the dashboard looking aggressive and tiresome, and it looks disorganized.

2) Do not insert too many effects

When many different effects are used in your dashboard, the user may be stressed. Excessive signals divert your attention at all times and keep you from focusing on what really matters.

3) Do not use unnecessary images

The use of many images leaves the dashboard look poor, confusing and poorly organized. Especially if the images are not related to the actual objective proposed in the panel. Excessive unnecessary images take focus and divert attention.

4) Do not choose an inappropriate chart type

Often, the type of chart configured and viewed on the dashboard is not the best possible choice. Repetition of the same graph format is tiring in the eyes of an analyst and does not match all the types of results presented.

5) Do not present irrelevant data

Irrelevant data, when inserted and displayed on the dashboard, causes it to lose its primary function. This prevents the responsible analyst from being able to measure more accurately what he really needs to know.

Dashboard creation - what to do

In order for dashboards to be well designed and efficiently present the desired results, special attention is needed to the tips presented below.

1) Build the dashboard on a single page

When dashboards are developed to have their features all displayed on the same page, it is much more practical to view and interpret the results presented. You can access all the necessary information at the same time. This will also give much more agility to the process of analyzing the information presented.

2) Set an alert tone

An alert tool must be configured so that the person in charge of the dashboard, in the midst of so much informative information, is warned when any important data presents some type of irregularity. The scorecard will be much more efficient and professional with the use of an alert system.

3) Add symbols on the dashboard

Replace the traditional green, red and yellow colors used to present results, by emojis and other signs. The faces may gain expression as indifferent, when everything runs normally. Sad, when something has a negative pattern. And smiling, when the data shows patterns higher than expected. The picture will be more relaxed and fun to be analyzed.

4) Use few colors and soft

The colors used in the development of dashboards should follow a smooth and constant line so as not to disturb the informative look. Data is more important than color. Try to use the same group of colors by always alternating the tones between light and medium.

5) Set only the necessary effects and images

Inserting the right effects and the right images, in the right amount, can help the dashboard to provide a better result than expected with respect to its features. The effects must be smooth and contribute so that the smooth functioning of the dashboard does not lose its main utility. In the images, use as little as possible and with relevant visual information in the data manipulation process.

Use the tips of what to do and what not to do when building a really effective and professional dashboard, and have a better organization and visualization for better decision making.

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