Data Dashboard Design Best Practices

By: Eric Parker

Eric Parker lives in Seattle and has been teaching Tableau and Alteryx since 2014. He's helped thousands of students solve their most pressing problems. If you have a question, feel free to reach out to him directly via email. You can follow him on LinkedIn or sign up for a Tableau Office Hour to work with him directly!

Effective data dashboard design is an art. It requires meticulous attention to detail. It includes visualizing the right data, displaying the appropriate level of granularity, designing an efficient layout, and making a number of minute design decisions so the data hits your user "just right".

If you're looking for a checklist of design elements to review before your next dashboard rollout, you've came to the right place! In this video, we discuss the following 15 design best practices:

  1. Lead with Questions

  2. Reduce Clutter

  3. Maximize Screen Real Estate

  4. Utilize Summary Tiles

  5. Strategize Worksheet Layout

  6. Include Instructions

  7. Create Visual Separation

  8. Limit Unique Colors

  9. Use Colors Consistently

  10. Mind Color Density

  11. Leverage Tooltips

  12. Info Buttons

  13. Drill Through for Detail

  14. Navigation Buttons

  15. Tell a Story

Related Resources:

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