Data + Dashboard Design

Designing for Data

Part of my job at Interworks was to make data interesting and accessible to the average person. Often this meant converting boring spreadsheets into visually intriguing reports that could be accessed and shared via Tableau. However, because Tableau is first and foremost a tool for data (not design) design options were limited. This made for an interesting UX problem: How do you display large amounts of data with limited functionality? Is it possible to trick users into thinking they’re using a standard website so even novice Tableau users can find what they need? The answers are yes and yes. By leveraging the UX basics of hierarchy, consistency, and control, I designed dozens of Tableau reports that functioned and looked like modern web experiences. Below you’ll find a few examples.

 

⚠ Please note: All identifying client data has been removed from the below reports. ⚠

 

Role in Project: UX Designer

Objective: Create a set of easy-to-read reports which tell a cohesive story about a given company or project.

How: Highlight key performance indicators (KPIs) and create a “data hierarchy” which prioritizes broad metrics while still allowing users to access more granular reports. 

Stylized Dashboards

While the majority of the reports I designed could be described as minimalistic and corporate, there were a few opportunities to flex my creative muscles. Below, you’ll find a select sample of highly stylized dashboards. These reports prioritized brand ascetics above all else and were often public facing.

New Members

The below report was designed for a well-known shoe company*  and gives a snapshot of new and active users on the company’s retail website and fitness app.

*Sorry, I’m unable to divulge the company’s name due to an NDA.

Market Rank

The below report was designed as part of a series for The Notch, a fictional retail site used to show off the capabilities of Curator.

The report gives a high-level snapshot of The Notch’s market rank, top sales, and market share.

Online Memberships

The below dashboard gives a high-level overview of current online engagement and growth versus the prior year.

Email Campaigns

The below dashboard shows the effectiveness of recent email marketing campaigns.

Corporate Dashboards

The majority of dashboards I designed while at Interworks were more utilitarian than the stylized dashboards above. Below you’ll find a selection of scrubbed corporate reports, the primary objective of which was simply to convey information without flare or fanfare. 

Like the dashboards above, each of the below reports was designed to be interactive. Users could hover over or click on individual data points within charts and graphs to get a more granular breakdown of any given metric.

Sorry, but I can’t divulge company names due to NDAs.

Musician Overview

The below dashboard was designed for a music marketing company. The goal was to create a one-stop shop for assessing a musician’s social “health.” Simply plug in any musician’s name to see their total revenue as well as their status across major music and social media platforms.

Customer Pet Care

A simple, sleek report created for a popular online pet care retailer.

Global Consulting

Below is the home page for a collection of reports designed to give a global consulting company quick access to metrics for all aspects of their business. Each row gives users a general overview of company stats while also linking to a series of more granular reports.

Revenue and Usage

The below dashboard was designed for a major midwest power company. The request was a semi-stylized template for a series of customer reports that would be shared widely throughout the company.