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BI Dashboard Survival Guide

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1. PORTRAIT LANDSCAPE Inches Pixels Inches Pixels Canvas 6 667 x 10 Canvas 640 x 960 Canvas 10 x 6 667 Canvas 960 x 640 Working Space 6 667 x 8 667 Working Space 640 x 832 23 HELPFUL RESOURCES 24 Resources Books Information Dashboard Design The Effective Visual Communication of Data Stephen Few Performance Dashboards Measuring Monitoring and Managing Your Business Wayne Eckerson Design Programs Adobe Photoshop adobe com photoshop GIMP gimp org downloads Picasa picasa google com Stock Photography Corbis Images corbisimages com iStockphoto istockphoto com Getty Images gettyimages com Shutterstock shutterstock com 25 HELPFUL RESOURCES About the Author Mike Erickson Dashboard Design Specialist Mike Erickson is a seasoned graphic designer who has worked his magic on most MicroStrategy dashboards that Lancet has produced since 2005 His background in web design and marketing gives him a unique and valuable perspective when it comes to designing usable and attractive dashboards mobile apps and GUls About Lancet Maximize your Return On Data with strategic leadership hands on project implementation and professional training from the Business Intelligence specialists at Lancet Since 1997 Lancet has helped IT professionals and business leaders define build manage and learn the discipline of Business Intelligence and excel at its applic
2. LANCET DASHBOARD SURVIVAL GUIDE What Every BI Dashboard Developer Should Know a ad gt pU ti By Mike Erickson Dashboard Design Specialist v1 2 February 2012 Dashboard Survival Guide What Every Dashboard Developer Should Know Dashboards Deconstructed Business Intelligence spans dozens of inter related components from key metrics to data architecture However few of these elements will be more visible to business users than dashboards Dashboards allow users at all levels from the CEO to frontline staff to access critical performance intormation and align their day to day tasks with company objectives They harness the ste 4 gt vast collection of raw data that lies at the heart of Business es Intelligence and transform it into clear and actionable insights T gt af me S Yet for all their merit few developers receive Celie ago to os y p gt create highly effective dashboards Part art and part h powerful dashboard development requires anenglysts love of numbers a programmer s bag of tools angg s designersieye for art R No small request May as wy sra ar et RER Qis aS oF PRO sa amp gt w iie e te lt 3 er ey Qi J Sa Sve PAN at s TN pu TS lt gt wan 7 Proven Survival Techniques This guide is dedicated to all who are challenged with sharing mounds of infoga ion i in a regan Paec pixels who struggle to clear the clutter from charts and b
3. FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS 12 Apply the Power of One Does critical information fit easily on one screen Can users view the entire picture without scrolling What information can be relocated to a drill down category When we do the math on successful dashboards it a up to one one dashboard that fits on one screen wit one focus on each tab Work with your business prioritize information and define the most need to present A cluttered presentation that s over with information defeats the purpose of the dashboard and will reduce usability Stay on the Trail Group closely related information together so users don t need to flip between tabs Optimize your space by showing summary data on the main tab and using drill ins so users can access details as needed Set up your content so that it fits on one tab without scrolling Test on multiple browsers and devices 13 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS As this before and after shows by prioritizing information and grouping related information under a common menu structure users can easily view critical details without scrolling Tabs and drill down links keep details at hand without cluttering the presentation YTD Sales by Category Revenue 1 444 368 Revenue LY 1 155 034 Profit 50k Jun 2010 Jul 2010 Revenue Contribution by Subcategory Cameras 3 Video Equipment M 20 9 Miscellaneous fal 19 1 A
4. Profit and Revenue Revenue 3 000k 1 000k Profit 520k 500k i l 2 a A Margin 17 3 30 ea a os gS entral onneas outheas Take Shelter in Your Brand n eal Regional Performance Review the company web site or brochures to see the S b d Region Revenue Profit corporate brand in action aaa cans eases i A k th k ti t ti d t t Southeast 683 011 92 403 Ask the marketing or corporate communications departmen ae aos Se if guidelines for colors fonts and logo usage exist Mountain 857 290 159 706 Pacific 518 275 113 480 Utilize autoformat functionality to make your dashboard designs consistent and efficient 9 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS Empower Decisions Maximize Space Can users of all levels find information quickly and intuitively How much detail is absolutely essential Are menu choices and drill down options obvious What is the primary focus Is information logically structured and clearly labeled Can multiple items be served with one label or menu If one word could describe a great dashboard it might be Great dashboards mind the details Once you ve mocked intuitive A well architected dashboard doesn t require a up your visual presentation take time to review and tighten user manual or a training session It should present volumes up each individual element Every unnecessary decimal of information at a glance enable business users to monitor place every redundant menu choic
5. E DASHBOARDS Line Graphs Line graphs work well with sophisticated data sets that show trend metrics over time especially when values are close in range Bar Graphs Bar graphs provide categorical summaries of data rather than independent values Daily Sales Over a Quarter 15 000 10 000 ee 55 000 S0 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 Television Inventory Levels 6 000 4 000 2 000 197 29 30 49 20 69 FO Gauges and Thermometers Gauges and thermometers are best for displaying metrics versus a goal or forecast Heat Maps Heat maps convey areas of interest in a two dimensional image Pie Charts Pie Charts are a good choice for three or fewer dissimilar values Revenue Actual Versus Forecast Forecast Sales by Region and State Northeast Region Massachusetts New York New Hampshire Connecticut Marketshare E Corp Inc Products E ACME Company Products E Widgets Inc Products 18 Involve Others Does the dashboard meet business objectives Can users navigate effectively Is design assistance required As with all facets of Business Intelligence a team approach generally yields the best results Dashboard design is all about aligning the business around a common set of metrics and objectives so it s natural to involve many players throughout its development Creating a dashboard is a process not a single event T
6. aie or Nee genase reference tools to take ie ge to the psx level 4w 15 tS oii SAL ae a iis We hopeaa benefit from practical solutions angpechnicayy K igg Pasea on our work with hundreds of clients nationwide one d and ly aie av lt 1 Salting asting customized and most importantly ae actionable dashboards Ls wie LAP Al bf E Mike Erickson Dashboard Design Specialist Lancet A LANCET Inside This Guide Best Practices for Effective Dashboards 00m 3 1 Design With Purpose ooinccmssnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 5 2 Plan for All Devices oicccssmunssnuunnnnnnnunnnnninunnnninnunnnnnniunnnsnse 7 3 Stick to the Brand ooo mmunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnninnnn 9 4 Empower Decisions i 11 EEan o AE a visual display of the most important 5 Maximize SPACE oc coosssssssnnntnnnnitnnaiiinnuiiniauninnaniinnuninnnnies 12 information needed to achieve one or more objectives 6 Apply the Power of ONE wonnnoncccsmmsssnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnene T3 consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the 7 Arrange Data Logically ccc 15 information can be monitored at a glance 8 Keep it Simple n 16 Diagram Wisely l 17 Stephen Few author infoumation Dashboard Deion 10 Involve Others ete en et 19 Helpful Resources oo nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnne 21 Design Specifications for Pade i csessssnsnsmsnsnannninnsnsnansnnnnn 21 Design Specifications for iPhone mmnovssnsnrnnnnsnn
7. ation More than 100 MicroStrategy clients across the country rely on us for BI guidance project execution platform administration custom visualizations and program support Learn More www lancetsoftware com A LANGT 26 Power Up Your Next Dashboard Contact Lancet for design consulting custom visualizations or hands on dashboard development info lancetsoftware com 952 230 7369 Learn more www lancetsoftware com dashboards LANCET Maximizing Return on Data 11980 Portland Avenue South e Burnsville Minnesota 55337 952 230 7360 www lancetsoftware com
8. below Regional Revenues Profit and Revenue Revenue Profit and Margin Data Grid Regional Revenues Profit and Revenue 1 500k 1 000k 500k m m m 0 Central Northeast Southeast Central Northeast Southeast Mountain Pacific Mountain Pacific Regional Performance Region Revenue Profit Margin Northeast 1 254 209 219 487 17 5 Southeast 983 011 92 403 9 4 Central 865 230 19 900 2 3 Mountain 1 157 290 159 706 13 8 Pacific 978 275 113 480 11 6 P an fo r All D evi C e S The iPad and iPhone are revolutionizing the way we interact with information and will likely be two of the most important applications for future dashboards How will users interact with the dashboard What browsers and applications does the design support How will it translate to mobile devices Back Casino Analysis EBITDA 5 934 749 no mo With the recent explosion in smart phones and other mobile Gaming Revenue 9 devices it s no longer enough to design a one size fits all cae dashboard and assume all users will access the information from a traditional desktop computer or laptop Smart design establishes a plan early on for maximizing the usability of the dashboard across platforms Be Prepared for All Scenarios Identify the most suitable browsers and devices for your user base S Research the minimum and maximum live area screen resolution Corporate Dashboard and other technical sp
9. e or oversized font is an performance and make data supported decisions all from opportunity to optimize your onscreen real estate a single screen Understand how your business leaders make decisions and you can engineer the optimal presentation for o 4 eee Survival Rations their needs Truncate figures to the shortest suitable format such as displaying decimal places to tenths rather than thousandths Follow Your Instincts or showing data by quarters rather than months Review dashboard navigation and make sure it follows Keep text as small as possible while maintaining legibility standard conventions such as underlining hyperlinks Size fonts from 8 11 points including heads and sub heads Check graphs charts and grids for easy to follow titles and Minimize or eliminate the company name and logo or move captions avoid acronyms and jargon it to a page footer Evaluate overall presentation of information so key items Consider a consolidated menu bar that can serve all like alerts are readily apparent to even casual users elements onscreen rather than individual menus for each a chart or diagram Maintain a consistent structure across every dashboard to train users where to go and what to expect oo 3 P Try to maintain a consistent structure from one dashboard to the next This subconsciously trains users where to find information and what to expect from the BI process 11 BEST PRACTICES
10. ecifications 46 BUSINESS pcaspecrive Build and test your dashboard in multiple environments ens dT Refer to the design specifications at the back of this guide Li Come Ce ee Po ee he OcnN De leew Hibdelestice forbear Carel ianh Subcategory Analysis Books Electronics a Special Interests Orma Ache Kags Facniy Comair Higi firerag Tetal lear 7 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS Leverage the colors fonts and images from corporate communications S tick to th e B ran d to create a dashboard that s instantly familiar to users What elements are key to the company s visual identity C USA Are fonts colors images and logos consistent across the dashboard CORPORATION Are design elements in line with the current corporate brand USA INC Welcome to Our Website Lem gere hie ri pei rete alee mg tt De ee hee eet z od J oerna ma be Formele poner mre bebe e eget ol heeles ri In the same way a company s data quality relies on sound Fae mska sapa z aipa doam uga m es eh Palen e prre mi e eres bade Ejam mi mligi Lege eale architecture using brand and design guidelines will ensure company communications reflect a unified personality Style Guide No dashboard exists in a vacuum it s one of many communication tools used within a company The corporate brand identity is the ideal reference when choosing colors fonts logos and layouts for your dashboard KPls
11. here will be multiple iterations throughout its lifecycle Embrace constructive feedback openly and don t hesitate to speak out when additional resources are required Survival in Numbers Learn how users will interact with the dashboard and tailor functionality to their needs Ask peers to weigh in on designs and test drive prototypes Early feedback can save hours of rework Consult a graphic design professional for layout recommendations or hands on assistance There s no substitute for experienced input 19 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS Feedback from peers and stakeholders or the assistance of a professional graphic designer can transform a good dashboard top into a great dashboard bottom Note how much more restrained colors and imagery and a smaller logo open up the information and keep the dashboard consistent with company brand guidelines D Category Performance Dashboard Wi Category Region WIDGETS INC Revenue by Subcategory Supplier Analysis KPIs county a BB rore E Po ue sou Category Performance Dashboard Wi WIDGETS INC Revenue 196 706 eo s Category Region TE CO Ct Prote 45 Set through 93 9 Revenue by Subcategory Monthly Revenue and Profit Trends 20 000 96 000 si2000 TE Seo 2008 Now 2009 Jan 2010 Mar 2010 Mary 2010 As 2010 Sep 2010 Oct 2008 Dec 2008 Fem 2090 Age 2010 Am 2010 Aug 2010 Sepp her Reven
12. rnnnnane 23 BOOKS cece eee 25 Design PrograiMS epee uinen 25 Stock Photography eee enn ee ener AANS 25 About the Authorities 26 About Lancet a ttvtititiatiaitiaiaantutanee 26 Design With Purpose What is the goal of the dashboard Who will use it What information do these users need Great design starts with having a goal in mind long before pen meets paper or web visualizations appear on screen Even the most visually interesting presentation of information fails if it doesn t deliver the right insight to the right users That s why it s critical to ask questions and get agreement from business leaders before starting the design process For best results evaluate user input objectively and communicate openly about the time cost and functionality options required to execute these requests Don t hesitate to offer alternative solutions that can achieve a better ROI Map Your Course Engage stakeholder support up front to help speed roll out and adoption across the company Work with project managers the technical team or sponsoring executives to understand and establish the business goals for the dashboard Identify necessary requirements and prioritize the information to display Follow an iterative design process with clear milestones BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS Using a wireframe as the first stage of dashboard design top helps stakeholders envision the finished product
13. tle Your color image and layout choices should support the user s goals not distract from them One of the most common dashboard mistakes is failure to highlight what s important the data Review your finished product with a critical eye Don t be afraid to edit The Bare Necessities Avoid design elements that don t have a purpose Less is more in design Be sure the image is subtle if using a photo or graphic as the background to the dashboard Try single colors in charts Use a mix of font weights to emphasize information 16 Diagram Wisely Are visualizations used appropriately Could another approach better present the information Is there a clear and compelling rationale for each visualization choice Selecting the right visual to display a data set can be tricky as it significantly impacts how readily users can absorb the information at hand If in doubt mock up your data in several different configurations and color schemes and compare the results side by side Choosing the Right Tool for the Job Choose a color scheme with just enough contrast to make each variable stand out Avoid jarring colors and monochromatic shading Balance variety with appropriateness when selecting among line and bar graphs pie charts gauges and thermometers heat maps and other options Refer to the examples on the facing page as a guide to choosing optimal visualizations 17 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIV
14. udio Equipment I 17 5 TV s HE 133 14 Arrange Data Logically Can users find Key Performance Indicators KPIs right away Is there a planned sequence to the flow of information Are like elements designed consistently and grouped together Studies prove that we approach information in a familiar pattern moving left to right and top to bottom For dashboard designers that means the upper left corner should house the most important information with critical components flowing in order of priority Use Your Head ki Make sure Key Performance Indicators KPIs for the dashboard are located in the top left corner Group like displays of information together to speed readability such as grids in one area and charts in another Place non essential items like dashboard names company logos and instructional text where they are visible to users but don t detract from prominent areas of the screen Humans process information from left to right and top to bottom Use this sequence to your advantage by placing KPIs in the top left of any design 15 BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE DASHBOARDS Keep it Simple Is the information the most prominent part of the design Do colors and visuals overpower or support the intake of information Can any design elements be removed without impacting overall focus Powerful dashboards incorporate great design However great design should be sub
15. ue Profa Profi Supplier Share Armaning Music 42 167 1034 25 24 Good Tunes How 2 058 50 Pak Pyramid Tunes aos 1413 39 wes Qood Label 02 144 3m 74 163 Prnacte 21 707 i207 60 11 0 Oen Amor 820 704 La 20 1 0 Tot 106 708 SRA an 200 20 al iPad Design Specifications in m 768 px Corporate Dashboard PORTRAIT Inches Canvas 8 x 10 667 Maximized 8 x 10 458 With Title Bar 8 x 10 HELPFUL RESOURCES 10 458 1004 px 10 960 px Pixels Canvas 68 x 1024 Maximized 768 x 1004 With Title Bar 768 x 960 REMEMBER By default MicroStrategy Dashboards have a resolution of 96 pixels per inch 10 667 1024 px LANDSCAPE Inches Canvas 10 667 x 8 Maximized 10 667 x 7 792 With Title Bar 10 667 x 7 333 Pixels Canvas 1024 x 768 Maximized 1024 x 748 With Title Bar 768 x 704 22 iPhone Design Specifications REMEMBER By default MicroStrategy Dashboards have a resolution of 96 pixels per inch Design for the iPhone 4 and 4s which has oe an mR twice the resolution of prior iPhones Back Casino Analysis Gaming Revenue Promotion Allowance 10 Operating Costs 960 px 10 m M 960 px of Players 18 576 ee Slot Win 3 788 756 920 px PEBITDA A Table Win 4 901 647 8 667 Slot Hold 4 1 eee Table Hold 19 5 640 px 2 Tables Promo D

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