What steps are involved in creating a dashboard?

Creating a dashboard involves several steps, including importing data, creating visualizations, adding filters, and designing a layout. This process can be broken down into six stages: defining goals, data preparation, selecting a tool, designing visualizations, adding interactivity, and finalizing the layout. In this tutorial, we will walk through each stage. 

Stage 1: Define Your Goals 

Before diving into the data, defining your dashboard’s purpose is important. Consider the following questions: 

1. What are the main objectives of your dashboard? 
2. Who is your target audience? 
3. What Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) do you want to track?

For our case study, let’s assume we’re building a sales dashboard for a retail store. Our main goal is to provide store managers with an easy-to-understand view of their store’s performance, focusing on KPIs like revenue, units sold, and average transaction value. 

Stage 2: Data Preparation 

To create your dashboard, you’ll first need to gather and prepare your data. This typically involves: 

1. Identifying data sources (e.g., spreadsheets, databases, APIs) 
2. Cleaning and transforming the data to make it usable for analysis 
3. Combining data from different sources, if necessary

In our case study, we’ll assume the store’s sales data is stored in a spreadsheet. We’ll start by cleaning up any inconsistencies and aggregating the data to calculate the KPIs we’re interested in tracking. 

Stage 3: Select a Dashboard Tool 

Various dashboard tools are available, ranging from basic spreadsheet applications to advanced business intelligence platforms. Some popular options include: 

1. Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets 
2. Tableau 
3. Microsoft Power BI
4. Looker

We’ll use Tableau, a powerful and user-friendly dashboarding tool, for our case study. 

Stage 4: Design Visualizations 

Once your data is ready and you’ve selected a tool, it’s time to create visualizations that effectively communicate the information you want to convey. Some best practices include:

1. Choosing the right chart type for your data (e.g., bar charts, line charts, pie charts)
2. Using color to highlight important data points or trends
3. Keeping visualizations simple and uncluttered

In our case study, we’ll create a bar chart to show monthly revenue, a line chart to track units sold over time, and a gauge chart to display average transaction value. 

Stage 5: Add Interactivity 

Interactive elements like filters and drop-down menus can make your dashboard more dynamic and engaging. Consider incorporating the following:

1. Filters to display data for specific time periods, regions, or product categories
2. Drill-down functionality to allow users to explore data in more detail 
3. Tooltips with additional context or information

In our case study, we’ll add a date range filter, a store location drop-down, and tooltips for each visualization. 

Stage 6: Finalize the Layout 

Lastly, arrange your visualizations and interactive elements in a clear, logical layout. Keep these tips in mind: 

1. Group related visualizations together 
2. Place the most important information at the top or in the center 
3. Ensure the dashboard is easy to navigate and understand at a glance

In our case study, we’ll place the revenue bar chart at the top, with the line chart and gauge chart below. We’ll also add a title and a brief description to guide users. 

 

By following these six stages, you can create an effective, engaging dashboard tailored to your audience and objectives. Remember to periodically review and update your dashboard to ensure it continues to provide valuable insights as your business evolves.