How to Create Smarter Dashboards

Welcome to another episode of SmartTips, where we dive into optimizing your workflow with insightful advice and expert tips. My name is Gavin Brennen, and I am a product specialist at SmartSuite. Today, we're going to explore some best practices for formatting dashboards. At SmartSuite, dashboards are quintessential to our operations, and over time, we've perfected an internal standard to ensure our dashboards are both effective and aesthetically pleasing.

Why Dashboard Formatting Matters

Imagine walking into a meeting and being greeted with a cluttered, unorganized dashboard. Important data points and graphs are jumbled together, leading to confusion rather than clarity. An effectively formatted dashboard ensures that all information is relevant, useful, and coherently organized. Not only does this make internal analysis more efficient, but it also presents well to team members, investors, and clients.

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Importance of a Standard Format

Having a standardized approach to dashboard design at SmartSuite brings consistency and efficiency. Our internal dashboards always feature a structured layout which includes:

• A header and a banner at the top
• Well-defined headings between data sections
• A footer
• Navigation tabs for ease of use

This structure forms an essential backbone that can be adapted to various needs but remains consistent in its core elements. The essence of a great dashboard lies in its ability to present complex data in a simple, organized manner.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Smart Dashboard

1. Enable Essential Features

When starting a new dashboard, the first step is enabling navigation and other foundational elements. This involves configuring tabs and pages, which initializes:

• Navigation: By default, this is auto-disabled. Remember to enable it to allow for a streamlined movement between different sections.
• Logo and Footer: Always integrate your logo and social links. This not only brands your dashboard but also adds a professional touch.

2. Styling Your Dashboard

Creating a visually appealing dashboard is paramount. Here's how you can achieve a unified look:

• Width: Set this to 'standard' for uniformity across different dashboards.
• Background: Opt for a custom background to personalize and enhance the visual appeal of your dashboard. This can include images or colors that resonate with your brand identity.

3. Designing a New Tab

When introducing a new tab, you start with creating a banner:

• Banner: Access the banner settings and choose a color or upload an image. Tools like Google can provide useful banner images quickly with a simple search.
• Text Styling: Use heading styles to ensure the text is readable and complements the banner background. Heading one with a contrasting color such as white works splendidly in most cases.

4. Adding Spacing and Headings

To guide the viewer's eye through the dashboard:

• Spacing: Include spacing to separate different sections clearly.
• Headings: Before introducing any dataset, use headings. This helps categorize information logically and makes navigation intuitive.

5. Organizing Data Points

Organization is the linchpin of a good dashboard. Here’s how you can arrange your data effectively:

• Data Views: Choose the kind of data views or graphs that best represent the information you're sharing.
• Grouping: Group data in a way that makes it easy to digest. For example, group sales data by potential revenue or title, making complex data sets straightforward at a glance.

6. Final Review and Presentation

Before rolling out your dashboard to the entire team or to external clients:

• Double-check each element for cohesion and consistency.
• Ensure all data is accurate and appropriately formatted.
• Solicit feedback from teammates to refine the final look and feel.

Conclusion

Crafting an effective dashboard requires attention to detail and a structured approach. At SmartSuite, we strongly believe in dashboards that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional. The steps outlined in this guide are based on our internal best practices which can be adapted to meet various needs of different organizations.

If you have unique methods or standards for building dashboards at your organization, feel free to share them in the comments below. Dashboards are versatile, and how they evolve over time can result in innovative and more efficient viewing experiences.