Most businesses are data-rich and insight-poor. They have the numbers, but they're buried in spreadsheets nobody opens. A well-designed dashboard changes that.
Start with questions, not data
The number one mistake in dashboard design is starting with "what data do we have?" Instead, start with "what decisions do we need to make?" Then work backward to the metrics that inform those decisions.
Keep it focused
A dashboard with 40 charts is a dashboard nobody reads. Aim for 5–8 key metrics per view. Use drill-down functionality for users who want to go deeper.
Real-time matters (sometimes)
Not every metric needs to update every second. Sales dashboards might refresh hourly. Operational dashboards (server health, error rates) should be near real-time. Match the refresh rate to the decision cadence.
Make it accessible
Put dashboards on a TV in the office. Send automated email digests every Monday. Embed key charts in Slack. The best dashboard is the one people actually look at.
The tech stack
We typically build with a combination of a cloud data warehouse (BigQuery, Redshift, or Snowflake), a transformation layer (dbt), and a visualization tool (Looker, Metabase, or custom React dashboards). The right choice depends on your team's technical capacity and budget.
Need help implementing this?
Book a free 30-minute audit and we'll show you exactly where to start.