Excel dashboards are some form of visual reporting mechanism. Excel dashboards are completely different from your default spreadsheet report that is usually created in excel.

Dashboard reporting based on the key principles should bridge that gap between systems and the information needs of management. More importantly, good dashboard design and data modelling should help information workers and analysts to spend less time with manual excel tasks and more time analysing information.

Keep it simple and to a single page

Don’t clutter your excel dashboard with unnecessary visual elements and data. If it looks too busy, then it will fail to communicate the data effectively. We are trying to communicate a message about the data. Don’t include every bit of data in a dashboard. The information should show progress towards key objectives and priorities. The other point here is that if something is out with your line of sight, then it can’t be viewed quickly or possibly missed altogether. When you print your dashboard, it should also fit to a single page.

Easy to understand

Also, excel dashboards should signal when more action is required through the use of visual attributes. When developing an excel dashboard, it is advisable to start with a mock-up of the performance information that is required and work backwards to the point where data is gathered. They should help to visually identify trends and patterns quickly without confusion. In other words, if it doesn’t communicate any information about the data then don’t display it. Examples of this could be logos, pictures and 3D charts.

Use visual attributes

Bright colours such as red will attract more attention than subtle colours, so keep bold colours to a minimum and only use them to highlight or as an alert. Some people are colour blind, which is another reason for using subtle colours. Use natural white space between components. Everything that is not communicating a message such as chart lines or grid line should be toned down or removed completely if appropriate. Keep black for data that needs to be more prominent. There are many other visual attributes, other than colour. For example, using a different SHAPE and size can make data stand out. So can the use of added marks such and other symbols. Enclosure can also be useful for drawing attention.

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