Dashboard Alerts Checklist

By Zach Gemignani

The tendency with reporting, and information dashboard design in particular, is to cram as much information on the page as possible. It is a problem that Avinash describes with typical candor:

This [is] one of the core reasons why most dashboards are “crappy,” i.e., they are data pukes that provide little in terms of context and even less in terms of actionable value.

In the past, we have offered tools to make data presentation as clear as possible (chart chooser and Excel chart cleaner). Sometimes, clean isn’t enough; a more dramatic approach is needed.

One alternative is to shift the focus from the full data to changes in the most critical data points. By pulling out the important exceptions, you can make it easier for your audience to digest what matters and take action.

Stephen Few says in his book Information Dashboard Design (O’Reilly Media, 2006):

The best way to condense a broad spectrum of information to...