Information Visualization: Getting Dashboards Right
How This Course Will Help Your Career
What You’ll Learn
- An introduction to dashboard design
- Key considerations when you design for dashboards, such as using the pre-attentive attributes of color, form, orientation, and spatial location
- How principles of visual perception—encompassing how, what, and why we see what we do—can be applied to your dashboard designs
- Key concepts related to dashboard design, such as the “data-ink ratio,” summaries and exceptions, the benefits of customization, and how to promote insight
- Some of the psychological aspects of dashboard use, including attention, short-term memory, and problem solving
- Examples of good and bad design to help you avoid common mistakes
- The importance of viewing experience over aesthetics
Dashboards are everywhere—in enterprise software, Google Analytics and Facebook Ads Manager, and even popular blogs such as WordPress and Medium. Dashboards are going to become increasingly important—Accenture found that 79% of executives think that companies will lose their competitive position if they do not embrace big data. But how do you pack increasingly huge amounts of data into increasingly streamlined, tiny dashboards?
“Information Visualization: Getting Dashboards Right” will lead you through some of the key considerations when designing dashboard displays. Some design choices may seem arbitrary, such as the color of the background display or the size of the company logo, but almost every decision can potentially make, or ruin, the viewing experience. Through this course, we help you identify many of the design pitfalls your competitors have already fallen into. We will equip you with a deeper understanding of your users, so you know how to reduce their burden of responsibility as well as promote insight—the main reason for using dashboards as the chosen display method.
By the end of the course, you will have a clear understanding of how to design the right dashboards for your intended users, saving yourself the effort of endless edits. You will also be able to avoid the common faults blighting your competitors' designs by being equipped with the necessary information to design products that provide your users with the best possible viewing experience and, in turn, generate an increase in sales.
Gain an Industry-Recognized UX Course Certificate
Use your industry-recognized Course Certificate on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.
Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry leaders:
Is This Course Right for You?
This is an intermediate-level course suitable for students and professionals alike:
- UX designers interested in learning the key considerations, design pitfalls, and how to promote insight when designing dashboards
- Project managers looking to create dashboard displays that are relevant and effective to users
- Software engineers interested in the best practices for designing dashboards
- Entrepreneurs who want to create dashboard displays that are relevant and that will increase sales
- Students and newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to UX, UI, or web design
Courses in the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.
Learn and Work with a Global Team of Designers
You’ll join a global community and work together to improve your skills and career opportunities. Connect with helpful peers and make friends with like-minded individuals as you push deeper into the exciting and booming industry of design.
Lessons in This Course
- Each week, one lesson becomes available.
- There's no time limit to finish a course. Lessons have no deadlines.
- Estimated learning time: 18 hours 14 mins spread over 8 weeks .
Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 46 mins.
-
0.1: Welcome (10 mins)
-
0.2: An introduction to courses from the Interaction Design Foundation (37 mins)
-
0.3: Let our community help you (1 min)
-
0.4: How to Earn Your Course Certificate (16 mins)
-
0.5: Meet your peers online in our discussion forums (6 mins)
-
0.6: Meet and learn from design professionals at an upcoming meetup (1 min)
-
0.7: Gain Timeless Skills Through Courses from the Interaction Design Foundation (21 mins)
-
0.8: Mandatory vs. Optional Lesson Items (7 mins)
-
0.9: A Mix Between Video-Based and Text-Based Lesson Content (6 mins)
-
0.10: Raw Data and Design (7 mins)
Lesson 1: Information Visualization: An Introduction to Dashboard Design
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 35 mins.
-
1.1: An Introduction: Information Visualization (10 mins)
-
1.2: Business Intelligence Dashboards: Information Visualization (40 mins)
-
1.3: Dashboards: Information Visualization (11 mins)
-
1.4: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (13 mins)
-
1.5: Consistency and Standards in Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (10 mins)
-
1.6: Dashboards: Following the Information Scent (14 mins)
-
1.7: Fragmentation: Information Visualization (13 mins)
-
1.8: Dashboard Design and Scrolling: Information Visualization (13 mins)
-
1.9: Good Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (16 mins)
-
1.10: Dashboard Design 'No-nos': Information Visualization (15 mins)
-
1.11: Dashboard Design in Practice (6 mins)
Lesson 2: Dashboard Design: Key Considerations
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 43 mins.
-
2.1: Promoting Insight: Information Visualization (43 mins)
-
2.2: Limitations of Short-term Memory: Information Visualization (19 mins)
-
2.3: Dashboard Design and Short-Term Memory: Information Visualization (13 mins)
-
2.4: 'Data-Ink Ratio': Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
2.5: Exceptions: Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
2.6: Using Images: Information Visualization (15 mins)
-
2.7: Dashboard Design and Aesthetic Appeal: Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
2.8: Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
2.9: Three Important Questions: Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
2.10: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (8 mins)
Lesson 3: Dashboard Design: Visual Perception and the Gestalt Principles
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 7 mins.
-
3.1: Dashboard Design and Visual Perception: Information Visualization (15 mins)
-
3.2: Dashboard Design and the Gestalt Principles: Information Visualization (14 mins)
-
3.3: Using Colour in Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (16 mins)
-
3.4: Using Colour: Information Visualization (12 mins)
-
3.5: Dashboard Design and Visual Highlighting: Information Visualization (39 mins)
-
3.6: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization (15 mins)
-
3.7: Information Visualization (13 mins)
-
3.8: Visual aspects of the Design (6 mins)
Lesson 4: Dashboard Design Considerations: Practical Application
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 26 mins.
-
4.1: Applying Design Considerations: Dashboard Design (10 mins)
-
4.2: The Problem With Pie Charts: Dashboard Design (41 mins)
-
4.3: Consistency and Standards: Dashboard Design (8 mins)
-
4.4: Conform to the Norm: Dashboard Design (15 mins)
-
4.5: Using Colour and the General Viewing Experience: Dashboard Design (9 mins)
-
4.6: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)
Lesson 5: Common Display Methods
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 51 mins.
-
5.1: Bar Graphs: Dashboard Design (12 mins)
-
5.2: Line Chart: Dashboard Design (17 mins)
-
5.3: Scatter Plot: Dashboard Design (13 mins)
-
5.4: Tables: Dashboard Design (13 mins)
-
5.5: Box Plots: Dashboard Design (16 mins)
-
5.6: Pie Charts: Dashboard Design (38 mins)
-
5.7: Display Method-Your Experience (6 mins)
Lesson 6: Further Dashboard Display Methods
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 38 mins.
-
6.1: Stacked Bar Graphs: Dashboard Design (46 mins)
-
6.2: Spatial Maps: Dashboard Design (19 mins)
-
6.3: Information Dials: Dashboard Design (16 mins)
-
6.4: Icons: Dashboard Design (14 mins)
-
6.5: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)
Lesson 7: Dashboard Design: Think of the Users!
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 57 mins.
-
7.1: Organisation is Key: Usability Considerations (42 mins)
-
7.2: Permit and Support Meaningful Comparisons: Usability Considerations (14 mins)
-
7.3: Prevent Inappropriate Comparisons: Usability Considerations (11 mins)
-
7.4: Aesthetics are Important: Usability Considerations (13 mins)
-
7.5: Discussion Exercise – Choose Colours Wisely: Usability Considerations (7 mins)
-
7.6: Allow Quick Access: Usability Considerations (18 mins)
-
7.7: Usability Testing: Usability Considerations (8 mins)
-
7.8: Using Skeuomorphism: Yay or Nay?: Dashboard Design (3 mins)
-
7.9: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)
Lesson 8: Dashboard Design: Applying and Summarising
To be scheduled. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 11 mins.
-
8.1: The Important Design Questions: Information Dashboard Design (1 hour 11 mins)
-
8.2: Application: Dashboard Design (11 mins)
-
8.3: Daily Sales Dashboard: Dashboard Design (21 mins)
-
8.4: Accidents Vs. Workers' Pay Dashboard: Dashboard Design (26 mins)
-
8.5: Community-based learning and networking (6 mins)
Lesson 9: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up
To be scheduled.
-
9.1: Get Your Course Certificate (1 min)
-
9.2: Course Evaluation (1 min)
-
9.3: Continue Your Professional Growth (1 min)
How Others Have Benefited
Prashant Katrabad, India
“The course has taken my understanding of dashboard to the next level. I hope to design better dashboards in future.”
Eric Azares, United States
“This gave me a lot of principles I can immediately apply to dashboard design. Now that I know the principles, I have a more critical eye for dashboards I see on a daily basis. I can view all my dashboards not just as a consumer but as a designer. Time to go organize information!”
Sharon Kruskopf Sens, United States
“This course has certainly underscored the challenge of designing an effective dashboard. I find that I analyze every dashboard I now see!”
How It Works
-
Take online courses by industry experts
Lessons are self-paced so you'll never be late for class or miss a deadline.
-
Get a Course Certificate
Your answers are graded by experts, not machines. Get an industry-recognized Course Certificate to prove your skills.
-
Advance your career
Use your new skills in your existing job or to get a new job in UX design. Get help from our community.
Start Advancing Your Career Now
Join us to take “Information Visualization: Getting Dashboards Right”. Take other courses at no additional cost. Make a concrete step forward in your career path today.
Advance my career now