Main image of article The Basics of Data Dashboard Design

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There are three different types of dashboard design: strategic, tactical, and operational. Each serves a different purpose and a different audience. Lee Lukehart, Chief Data Visualist for SavvyData gave us the run down in his presentation, “The Art of Dashboard Design” at the 2012 Silicon Valley Code Camp conference. Make It Work Before you let a dashboard out the door, Lukehart says think about how others will see it. If not done right, dashboards can be boring, inaccurate or even worthless. Here are seven quick tips to avoiding the worst scenarios:
  1. Know when not to use a certain visualization
  2. Know your data
  3. Consider your audience
  4. Determine the chart’s message or focus
  5. Select best chart type for the message
  6. Construct data transforms as needed
  7. Conduct pre-flight checklist

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