How do you create a dashboard template?

In the world of Business Intelligence (BI) and consultancy, building templates for dashboards for internal or client use is crucial but often underestimated. A template is a predefined design used for consistency of layout, visualizations, color usage, and formatting settings such as typeface, font, size etc. that can be applied to new dashboards. In this blog we describe 4 steps that can help you develop your own template.

Without a standardized approach, developers have the freedom to design their own dashboards, which can lead to variation in dashboard design, visualizations, and even in the way data is interpreted and presented. This can lead to confusion and misunderstandings among users, making it harder to obtain reliable insights and make decisions based on the data. Moreover, the lack of consistency can lead to inefficiency, wasted time and resources, and a greater chance of errors because the wheel is reinvented every time dashboards are created. Build this template based on dummy data so that developers have a clear and usable example.

Step 1: Define the user persona

Defining a user persona before building a template is essential. The reason for this is that you design for the specific needs and goals of the users. This creates a better user experience, increases the relevance and usability of the dashboard, increases its acceptance, and ultimately maximizes its effectiveness. Think about the following points:

• Define a fictional user group, think about age, education level, data literacy etc.
• Define the wishes, needs, and frustrations of this user group
• Think about when this user group will use the dashboard

Step 2: Use the DAR principle

When building a template, the DAR principle is one of the most important guidelines. DAR stands for: Dashboard – Analysis – Reporting.

The Dashboard page provides an overview of all key KPIs, allowing you to see the current state of affairs at a glance. This helps identify any challenges or successes. You want your user group to be able to steer based on the KPIs. If you want to dig deeper and understand the reasons behind the KPI values, the Analysis page offers, for example, correlations, comparisons, and outliers. You can choose to create a separate analysis page for each KPI. Finally, the Reporting page offers a detailed table with all the measures and dimensions used, allowing you to analyze details down to the row level using filters.

In addition, we recommend adding an information page as the last sheet of the template. Here you'll find an overview of the KPI definitions, answers to frequently asked questions, and important contact details for users. Think of the contact details of the BI support department or the business owner of the dashboard.

Step 3: Choose the right visualizations

Choosing the right visualizations for the template is essential to communicate insights effectively. Consider which questions you want to answer and what conclusions you want users to draw.

Here are some common insights and their corresponding charts:

• Comparisons: here you compare different categories or variables to identify relative differences. The bar chart is most suitable.
• Development over time: this type of insight focuses on trends and changes over time. The line chart is ideal.
• Relationships: this type of insight focuses on relationships between variables. The scatter plot is suitable for this.
• Part-to-whole: here you show the ratio between different parts relative to the whole. A 100% stacked bar chart is most suitable.
• Distributions: this type of insight analyzes the distribution of grouped data and identifies patterns within the dataset. The histogram is ideal.
• Data: data doesn't always need to be visualized. Sometimes the need is to create an overview of different data points. The table is suitable for this.
• Geographic: this type of insight visualizes geographic patterns and trends. The map is ideal.

Step 4: Prevent cognitive overload

Cognitive load, or clutter, is a crucial aspect when designing an effective template. Clutter refers to the amount of mental effort needed to perform a task, such as processing information or making decisions. We're all probably familiar with an example of a dashboard where you don't quite know what you're looking at, because of all the different and confusing elements on the screen. This causes stress and reduces efficiency in decision-making. That's why it's important, when building a dashboard or template, to keep the following points in mind to prevent clutter:

• Readability: make sure the information is easy to read by choosing suitable fonts, using enough white space, and avoiding too much text on one screen or a background that's too busy.
• Graphic elements: use graphic elements such as icons and symbols to visually represent information and reduce cognitive load. Recognizable icons help communicate complex concepts quickly and improve the user experience. However, avoid excessive use to prevent clutter.
• Consistent color use: different colors evoke different associations, so be aware of this. These associations can differ per person. Neutral colors reduce cognitive load and create a pleasant user experience. And use consistent colors to prevent confusion among users.
• Avoid unnecessary visual elements: try to avoid the following visual elements if they add no value to the visual:
  • Gridlines
  • Data labels
  • Titles or subtitles on the visual or axes
  • Icons
  • Moving elements

The E-mergo template

For E-mergo, we also developed a template that clearly demonstrates the DAR principle. On the dashboard page, users can analyze six key KPIs and see at a glance whether they're above or below target, indicated by the color used. This way, we make it possible to steer based on the data. In addition, we've added two analysis pages for more in-depth analyses. We deliberately chose neutral colors with a few striking colors such as green and red to highlight specific points, such as performance above or below target, and neutral colors to distinguish different dimension values. To avoid unnecessary visual elements and maintain clarity, we made sure all visual elements were applied consistently. A reporting page has been added, allowing users to zoom in to the smallest level of detail in the data. Finally, an information page is included. You'll find the E-mergo Template below — you can view it and click through the different pages!