Philosophy
There are a great many facets that make a great dashboard. Here are some of the more salient facets that I believe contribute to a dashboard's greatness.
Help
Even the most intuitive dashboard can benefit from additional layers of help. I like to provide additional guidance on the data origins and data freshness, as well as the information meaning and how to use the dashboard. A semi-transparent help overlay explains results and controls on the same screen that the user is viewing, thereby explaining the dashboard in the context of how the user has chosen to filter, drill and navigate.
Naming conventions
All items with the source code are name using a standard convention Major - Minor - Micro. Each element type uses a suffix standardized throughout the source code to allow future developers to easily understand each element's role within the dashboard even when the dashboard tool's editors do not provide context.
Wireframes
Wireframes during the initial requirements gathering help to rapidly exchange ideas and keep everyone on the same page without getting bogged down by technology. Timely and frequent collaboration with the dashboard user during all phases of the dashboard project contributes directly to a successful project.
Comments
Comments are used to help explain complex formulae and are absent within simple formulae.
Iconography
Some data can be represented using icons, but the rule of sevens needs to be respected.
Menus
Interest and intuitiveness can be added to dashboards by using graphical menus.
Information
Information about the data contained within the dashboard to inform the user when and where the data came from.
Color
We as humans have millions of years of evolutionary programming to respond to colors which can be used within dashboards. Color is used according to our innate ability as humans to respond emotionally to each individual color. Care is taken in the appropriate word choices based on context and prevailing culture.
