Information Dashboard Design : The Effective Visual Communication of Data

by Few, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780596100162
• ISBN10: 0596100167
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-03-27
• Publisher: Oreilly & Associates Inc

Summary

Information Dashboard Design explains what dashboards can do, and how to design them to achieve their potential as powerful presentations of important and timely information. A dashboard must be designed according to a tailored set of design principles and practices that are rooted in an understanding of human visual perception. Author Stephen Few, an information design educator and consultant, is one of a handful of people truly qualified to write a book on this subject. He focuses on design principles and hands-on, exercise-based learning. A companion web site is available to support and extend materials in the book.

Author Biography

Stephen Few has over 20 years of experience as an innovator, consultant, and educator in the fields of business intelligence (a.k.a. data warehousing and decision support) and information design. Through his company, Perceptual Edge, he focuses on the effective analysis and presentation quantitative business information. Stephen is recognized as a world leader in the field of data visualization. He teaches regularly at conferences such as those presented by The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI) and DCI, and also in the MBA program at the Haas School of Business at U. C. Berkeley. He is also the author of the book "Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten" (Analytics Press).

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
Acknowledgments	xii
Clarifying the Vision	2	(36)
All That Glitters Is Not Gold	4	(2)
Even Dashboards Have a History	6	(2)
Dispelling the Confusion	8	(29)
A Timely Opportunity	37	(1)
Variations in Dashboard Uses and Data	38	(10)
Categorizing Dashboards	39	(3)
Typical Dashboard Data	42	(6)
Thirteen Common Mistakes in Dashboard Design	48	(30)
Exceeding the Boundaries of a Single Screen	50	(3)
Supplying Inadequate Context for the Data	53	(2)
Displaying Excessive Detail or Precision	55	(1)
Choosing a Deficient Measure	56	(2)
Choosing Inappropriate Display Media	58	(5)
Introducing Meaningless Variety	63	(1)
Using Poorly Designed Display Media	64	(4)
Encoding Quantitative Data Inaccurately	68	(1)
Arranging the Data Poorly	69	(2)
Highlighting Important Data Ineffectively or Not at All	71	(1)
Cluttering the Display with Useless Decoration	72	(3)
Misusing or Overusing Color	75	(1)
Designing an Unattractive Visual Display	75	(3)
Tapping Into the Power of Visual Perception	78	(18)
Understanding the Limits of Short-Term Memory	80	(1)
Visually Encoding Data for Rapid Perception	81	(9)
Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception	90	(5)
Applying the Principles of Visual Perception to Dashboard Design	95	(1)
Eloquence Through Simplicity	96	(22)
Characteristics of a Well-Designed Dashboard	97	(3)
Key Goals in the Visual Design Process	100	(18)
Effective Dashboard Display Media	118	(44)
Select the Best Display Medium	119	(4)
An Ideal Library of Dashboard Display Media	123	(37)
Summary	160	(2)
Designing Dashboards for Usability	162	(12)
Organize the Information to Support Its Meaning and Use	163	(5)
Maintain Consistency for Quick and Accurate Interpretation	168	(1)
Make the Viewing Experience Aesthetically Pleasing	168	(3)
Design for Use as a Launch Pad	171	(1)
Test Your Design for Usability	172	(2)
Putting It All Together	174	(31)
Sample Sales Dashboard	176	(20)
Sample CIO Dashboard	196	(2)
Sample Telesales Dashboard	198	(2)
Sample Marketing Analysis Dashboard	200	(1)
A Final Word	201	(4)
Appendix	205	(1)
Index	206