Welcome to this brand new week in the wonderful world of design !
Sometimes as Data Artist, we've spent countless hours creating beautiful, intuitive dashboards for clients. But let's face it, sometimes it feels like nobody cares about design in a dashboard. It's like trying to impress your grandma with your slick new iPhone - she just wants to make a call and move on with her day.
So, why does design sometimes get overlooked in the world of dashboards? Here are a few possible reasons: maybe people just don't appreciate the beauty of a well-crafted UI. Or perhaps they're too busy staring at the data to notice the stunning gradients and perfectly aligned icons. Or maybe they're just jealous that they didn't come up with the design themselves.
But fear not, dear designer. While some may not appreciate the effort that goes into creating a stunning dashboard, we know that good design is more than just a pretty face. It's about making information accessible, understandable, and actionable.
Here are 5 reasons why people may not care about design in a dashboard:
1.VALUE
They don't understand the value of good design. Good design goes beyond just making things look pretty. It can improve the usability and functionality of a dashboard, making it easier for users to find and understand the information they need. Another point is the fact that they don't see the immediate benefits of design.
The benefits of good design may not be immediately obvious, and some people may not see the value in investing in design unless they can see a direct return on their investment. So, good design goes way beyond making things look pretty. It is defining the value proposition and “give a clear and convincing voice to the numbers” as Stephen Few would say.
2.RESOURCES
They don't have the time or resources to invest in design. Design is often seen as an optional extra, and many people are so focused on the data and functionality of their dashboard that they don't have time to think about the design.
An option, this is how people are looking at design.. if we still have the budget, we will put a fresh coat of paint, if not we will leave it as it is. It’s very sad for me to see that kind of answer because, design in a dashboard is definitely not an option. At the end of day, why would you put a nice fresh coat of paint on your house if it is infested with termites? .. termites in a dashboard is for me, not knowing the exact value proposition.
3.NOWHERE TO START
They don't know where to start. Design can be a daunting task, and many people don't know where to begin when it comes to designing a dashboard. Well, if you do not know a lot about this area, i can imagine that it can be perceived as a daunting task.
Basically, you need to start small, look at the value proposition, look at the chart selected. if you need more information to do a simple checkup, send me a message and i will send you a very simple checklist to start with.
4.TOOL
They think that due to the fact that they bought one of the top notch Business intelligence tool, it will take care of the design which is only partially correct. In my UX career i have seen it many times… and to be honest with you, this is exactly where my career as data artist started some years ago. I have seen a dashboard that was created by people from a BI tool and this dashboard did not respect some basic UX rules. So, I can tell you that, it is not because you are having the latest BI tool that you will have automatically the most beautiful ever dashboard.
5. SUBJECTIVE
They think design is subjective. Some people may believe that design is a matter of personal preference, and that there is no "right" or "wrong" way to design a dashboard. For this final point, have a look at the list of UX laws, check all the gestalt principles, understand the impact of colors, learn how to organize the layout of your dashboard and then, only then.. come back to me and tell me that this is all subjective. It is not, it is based on research, years of experience and most of it, is common sense.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, design in a dashboard is often overlooked because people don't understand its value, don't have the time or resources to invest in it, or don't see the immediate benefits. However, taking the time to invest in good design can greatly improve the usability and functionality of a dashboard, making it an invaluable tool for data-driven decision making.
If you think about the time you spent gathering the right data, the time you spent in data preparation, it is already a lot. So, please do not underestimate this one last mile to “design” your dashboard.
Have a great week
JP
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