Chapter 2. All about Dashboard Design Best Practices

Data visualization is a field in constant evolution. However, some concepts have proven their value time and again throughout the years and have become what we call best practices. These notions should not be seen as strict rules that must be applied without any further consideration but as a series of tips that will help you create better applications.

If you are a beginner, try to stick to them as much as you can. They will save you a lot of trouble and greatly enhance your first endeavors. On the other hand, if you are an advanced developer, combine them with your personal experiences in order to build the ultimate dashboard.

Some guidelines in this chapter come from widely renowned characters in the field of data visualization, such as Stephen Few, Edward Tufte, John Tukey, Alberto Cairo, and Nathan Yau. If any of these concepts strikes your attention, I strongly recommend you to read more about it in their books. Throughout this chapter...

Dashboard design best practices

Throughout this section, we will review some useful recommendations that will help you create not only engaging, but also effective and user-friendly dashboards. Remember that they may apply differently depending on the information displayed and the audience you are working with. Nevertheless, they are great guidelines in the field of data visualization, so do not hesitate to consider them in all your developments.

Gestalt principles

In the early 1900s, the Gestalt School of Psychology conducted a series of studies on human perception in order to understand how our brain interprets forms and recognizes patterns. Understanding these principles might help you create a better structure for your dashboard and make your charts easier to interpret.

• Proximity: When we see multiple elements located near one another, we tend to see them as a group. For example, we can visually distinguish clusters in a scatter plot by grouping the dots according to their position.

• Similarity...

Summary

Throughout this chapter, we reviewed some of the best practices in the field of data visualization. By applying these simple tips, you can enhance your dashboards and transform them into truly engaging and functional analytical tools.

If you are interested in deepening your knowledge in this area, I strongly recommend you to read some authors such as Stephen Few, Edward Tufte, John Tukey, Nathan Yau, and Alberto Cairo. I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

In the next chapter, we will prepare the terrain for our charts by defining the overall dashboard's structure. We will talk about document styles, filters, backgrounds, and navigations schemas; so, turn on your computer. It is time to play.