5 mistakes to avoid when creating a BI dashboard

Designing a dashboard is an important task. It can be the difference between success and failure when it comes to making key business decisions.

But all too often, people make common mistakes that can hurt the effectiveness of their dashboard. Dashboards that are ineffective can lead to wrong decisions or no decisions at all.

When using BI dashboards to make business decisions, it is essential to avoid common mistakes. This article will highlight five mistakes to avoid:

• Not understanding the audience
• Including too much or too little data
• Lack of visual appeal
• Incorrect or misleading data
• Not sharing the dashboard with relevant stakeholders

By avoiding these mistakes, you can make sure that your dashboard is successful in helping you make critical business decisions. Let’s take a closer look at each mistake. But first, let’s briefly explore what a dashboard is and why it’s used.

What is a BI Dashboard?

A business intelligence (BI) dashboard is a visual display of information that is easy to understand. Dashboards are used to give an overview of KPIs (key performance indicators) and help business leaders make quick, informed decisions.

BI dashboards utilize data visualization to help users see patterns, trends, and outliers that they might not be able to see if they were looking at raw data.

There are many reasons why you would want to use a dashboard. Dashboards can help you:

• Save time by quickly identifying issues
• Make better decisions by surfacing key information
• Communicate information clearly to others
• Monitor progress and identify areas of improvement.

Now that we know what a dashboard is and why they are used, let’s look at the 5 dashboard mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1: Not understanding the audience

One of the most common dashboard mistakes is not taking the time to understand the audience. The dashboard must be designed with the end user in mind.

Who is the user? What do they need to see? How will they be using the dashboard?

Asking these questions is essential to creating an effective and useful dashboard. Without understanding the audience, it is challenging to create a dashboard that meets their needs.

Users must be able to understand the dashboard at a glance. The dashboard should be designed in a way that is easy to navigate and use.

Creating a user-friendly dashboard can be challenging, but it is essential to the dashboard’s success. By taking the time to understand the audience, you can create a dashboard that meets their needs and is easy to use.

There are a couple of ways to determine the needs of your dashboard users:

• Ask them directly. The best way to understand the needs of your dashboard users is to ask them directly. Send out a survey or set up interviews to get feedback on what they want to see on the dashboard. This feedback can be used to create a dashboard that meets their needs.
• Look at their current dashboards. Take a look at other dashboards that are similar to the one you’ll be building. See what works well and what doesn’t work well. This information can be used to improve the dashboard design.

Mistake #2: Including too much or too little data

Another common dashboard mistake is including too much or too little data. The dashboard should include only the most critical data.

Including too much data will make the dashboard cluttered and confusing. Users will have difficulty finding the data they need, and the dashboard will be less effective.

On the other hand, too little data will make the dashboard uninformative and useless. The dashboard must strike a balance between too much and too little data.

When determining what data to include on the dashboard, it is crucial to consider the needs of the user.

• What data do they need to see?
• What data will help them make decisions?
• What data is most important to the dashboard?

By answering these questions, you can determine what data to include on the dashboard. This data should be clearly displayed and easy to find.

Mistake #3: Lack of visual appeal

Another dashboard mistake is a lack of visual appeal. The dashboard should be visually appealing so users will be drawn to it and want to use it.

If the dashboard is not visually appealing, users will be less likely to use it. They may find it challenging to navigate or understand.

There are a few ways to improve the visual appeal of your dashboard:

• Choose colors carefully. Avoid using too many bright or clashing colors. Stick to a color scheme that is pleasing to the eye.
• Use white space wisely. White space can be used to improve the appearance of the dashboard. Use white space to separate different sections of the dashboard. This will make the dashboard easier to navigate and understand.
• Keep it simple. The dashboard should not be overly complex. Keep the layout simple, as too much complexity will make the dashboard difficult to use.

Mistake #4: Incorrect or misleading data

Even a well-designed dashboard can be ineffective if it includes incorrect or misleading data, so it’s important to make sure the data on the dashboard is accurate.

To avoid this, always double-check the data before adding it to the dashboard. Make sure it is accurate and up-to-date. By including accurate data, you can create an informative and reliable dashboard.

Mistake #5: Not sharing the dashboard

One final dashboard mistake to avoid is not sharing the dashboard with other relevant users.

When you share your dashboard with others, you can get feedback on the design and make necessary improvements to increase effectiveness.

There are a few groups of people you can share the dashboard with:

• Stakeholders: These are individuals who have a vested interest in the dashboard. They may be decision-makers or users of the dashboard.
• Subject matter experts: Subject matter experts are individuals who have expertise in the data being displayed on the dashboard. They can provide valuable insights into the data and how to best visualize relevant metrics.
• Design team: The organization’s design team can provide feedback on the dashboard design. They may have suggestions for improvement.

You should seek feedback on the dashboard design at various stages of development. This includes during the planning stage when the dashboard is being designed and after the dashboard is completed.

Getting feedback at different stages of development will help ensure that the dashboard is effective and useful for all users. Quality feedback will help you avoid mistakes and create a dashboard that is successful.

The bottom line

Creating an effective dashboard takes time and effort. But by avoiding these five mistakes, you can create a dashboard that is informative, trustworthy, and easy to use.

So take the time to plan the dashboard carefully, choose the right data, and use dashboard sharing to get feedback and improve the design. By following these tips, you can create a dashboard that will be successful.