Performance Dashboards

Information design thought leadership and work examples

I love dashboards. A well designed one is as functional as it is beautiful, and creating a dashboard that is both is like solving an elaborate puzzle—and who doesn’t like a good puzzle? Dashboards should use data to tell a story that ultimately compels a user to take action. There is usually a few “correct” ways to accomplish this, but there are always many more incorrect ways. That’s where the puzzle lives. It’s in the pursuit of a correct solution, and finding it can be both challenging and rewarding.

One of the ways I’ve shared my passion is through a combined talk and workshop that I give to designers and non-designers. It’s called Performance Dashboards: How to design with data and inspire organizations to change. It covers key terms, introductory design principles, and the business of performance management, which looks at how dashboards are integrated into the organization they’re designed for. As important as it is to create one that tells a valuable story, it’s equally as important to think about the role it will play for the people and the business it serves.

About halfway through the workshop, I give the participants two design challenges and ask them to draw charts of their own. Reading a chart is one thing, but designing one is an entirely different experience. For many, it’s their first attempt at information design, and it can be a lot of fun to watch a roomful of people iterate toward that ‘ah ha’ moment.