Data Analytics & Research
Dashboard design principles for managers who have 60 seconds
GOSPELTRADER Research Desk · 23 September 2026 · 6 min read
Quick answer
Put the single most important number top-left, compare every figure with a target or prior period, limit the view to five to seven visuals, use one highlight colour for exceptions, label axes plainly and link each chart to an action.
A board member opening a dashboard wants to know one thing: are we on track? Every design choice should make that answer faster.
Six rules
- • Lead with the key figure, top-left, in large type.
- • Never show a number without context — target, last month or last year.
- • Five to seven visuals per page; move detail to drill-through pages.
- • Grey by default, one accent colour for anything off-target.
- • Bars for comparisons, lines for trends; avoid pie charts beyond three slices.
- • Each visual should map to a decision someone can make this week.
Test with the actual reader
Give the dashboard to its intended reader for 60 seconds, then ask what they learned. If the answer is not the message you intended, redesign before adding features.
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