Eight principles that separate dashboards people actually use from ones that get ignored. Apply them to any DataRich dashboard in minutes.
Viewers scan top-to-bottom. Put your most critical KPIs — revenue, active users, completion rate — at the top of the dashboard as large, unmissable cards. Charts and tables come after.
A good rule: if someone glances at your dashboard for 5 seconds, they should know whether things are going well or badly.
Revenue
$48.2K
▲ 18%Orders
1,204
▲ 11%Conv. Rate
3.4%
▲ 0.4ppRevenue by Month
Every chart type answers a different question. Using the wrong one makes data harder to read, not easier.
Bar chart
Compare values across categories
Line chart
Show trends over time
Area chart
Trend with volume emphasis
Pie / Donut
Show parts of a whole (≤6 slices)
REVENUE
$48K
KPI card
Highlight a single critical metric
Table
Show detailed records with multiple columns
Gauge
Show progress toward a goal or target
Leaderboard
Rank items by a metric (top N)
Every widget you add competes for attention. Aim for 6–10 focused widgets rather than 20 charts that each say something different. White space is not wasted space.
Rev
—
Orders
—
Conv
—
6 focused widgets, clear hierarchy, breathing room between cards.
18+ charts crammed in — no clear focal point, impossible to read at a glance.
Pick one primary colour and use it sparingly to highlight the most important value. Use muted tones for supporting data.
Revenue by Region
East is highlighted — it's the region beating target
Chart titles should tell viewers what to look for, not just what the data is. "Revenue" is a label — "Revenue is growing 18% month-on-month" is a title.
Revenue
"Revenue" — tells you nothing about the trend or context.
Revenue trend — up 18% MoM
Jan → Jun 2024
"Revenue trend — up 18% MoM" — viewers know what to take away before reading the chart.
Run through this before you publish any dashboard.
Connect a Google Sheet and build a dashboard that follows every principle on this page — in under 60 seconds.