Dashboard design

01The problem

Your first report page works, but it may look like most first pages: twelve visuals, eight colours, charts squeezed into corners, a title that says "Sales Dashboard". Everything is there and nothing stands out. Good design is mostly about deciding what to leave out and where the eye goes first.

02The concept

Hierarchy: the most important thing, biggest and first. People scan a page top-left to bottom-right (a Z or F pattern). Put the headline numbers along the top, the main chart below them, and details lower down.

The five-second rule. A manager glancing at the page for five seconds should get the main message. If they can't, the page has too much or the wrong emphasis.

Design rules that work

1. One page, one purpose. An overview page, then detail pages (by region, by product, by customer).
2. At most 5–7 visuals per page. Each must answer a question someone asked.
3. KPI cards with context. A number alone ("₦290.7m") means little; add a comparison ("+19.1% vs H1 2025").
4. Consistent colours. Pick one colour for "this year", a grey for "last year", and red only for problems. Use a theme (View → Themes) so every visual matches.
5. Align and space. Use View → Gridlines and Snap to grid. Equal gaps, aligned edges.
6. Titles that say something: "North West revenue nearly halved" instead of "Revenue by Region".
7. Slicers together, in one place, usually along the top or left.

Accessibility

• Enough contrast between text and background.
• Don't rely on colour alone: red and green look alike to many colour-blind people. Add labels or icons.
• Add alt text to visuals (Format → General → Alt text) for screen-reader users.
• Set a sensible tab order (View → Selection pane → Tab order).
• Check readable font sizes: nothing below 10–12pt.

Mobile. View → Mobile layout lets you arrange a phone-friendly version of each page. Managers in the field will use it.

03Example

Before: 11 visuals; a pie chart of 16 products; a gauge; three different blues; title "Kolanut Dashboard"; slicers scattered.

After:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Kolanut sales: H1 2026 up 19%, driven by Lagos and South West│
│ [Channel ▾] [Category ▾] [Date range ▾]                      │
├──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬─────────────────┤
│ Revenue      │ YoY %        │ Active       │ Avg per line    │
│ ₦290.7m      │ +19.1%       │ customers 90 │ ₦202,741        │
├──────────────┴──────────────┴──────┬───────┴─────────────────┤
│ Monthly revenue: 2026 vs 2025      │ Revenue by region       │
│ (line, 2025 in grey)               │ (bars, NW in red)       │
├────────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┤
│ Top 10 customers: revenue, YoY % (table with data bars)       │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

04Walkthrough

Redesign your page from the previous lesson:

1. Write the page's purpose in one sentence. Delete any visual that doesn't serve it.
2. Add a text box title that states the main finding.
3. Line up the KPI cards across the top, the same size, with equal gaps.
4. Apply a theme; set 2025 to grey and 2026 to your main colour everywhere.
5. Colour only the North West bar red (Format → Bars → Colors → Show all).
6. Add a Top 10 customers table: customers[customer_name], [Revenue], [YoY %]; in the Filters pane, set customer_name to Top N = 10 by Revenue.
7. Add alt text to each visual.
8. Show the page to someone for five seconds and ask what it says.

05Practice

06Check your understanding