10 Essentials for Better Dashboards (No Matter What Tool You Use)

If your dashboards feel busy, hard to read, or not actionable enough, the cure isn’t a shiny new tool – it’s design discipline. Below are ten universal principles drawn from our recent webinar to help teams ship dashboards that are clearer, faster to interpret, and easier to trust.

1 Start with Purpose and Audience

Every dashboard should exist to answer a small set of questions for a specific audience. If you can’t write those questions down, you’re not ready to design. This focus prevents “report sprawl” and keeps you honest about what belongs on the screen—and what doesn’t.

Translate audience goals into a one-screen view that prioritizes fast orientation: what’s happening, why, and what to do next. Think of your dashboard as a decision support surface, not a data museum.

2 Provide Context, not just Numbers

A number alone (e.g., “Revenue: 12.4”) is a question generator, not an answer. Always pair values with context: prior period, target, forecast, or benchmark. Context turns raw metrics into meaning and helps stakeholders judge performance at a glance.

When space is tight, use micro-comparisons (sparklines, small deltas, % change) or concise tooltips. The rule of thumb: if a number invites “compared to what?”, it needs more scaffolding.

3 Scale and Label like a Pro

Make numbers effortless to read. Round sensibly, reduce decimals, and always disclose units and scaling (K, M, B). In charts, keep consistent axes and avoid mixing scales unless clearly labeled – misaligned scales are a fast track to confusion.

Where possible, unify units and scales across a dashboard (e.g., all revenue charts in $M). That way, comparisons don’t rely on fine print.

4 Turn Titles into Questions

Titles are prime real estate. Phrase them as questions the chart answers (“Which regions drove Q2 growth?”). This clarifies purpose, forces design discipline, and increases engagement – the viewer immediately knows what to look for.

Question-based titles also surface when a chart is redundant: if you can’t write a clear question it answers, it probably doesn’t belong.

5 Use Color intentionally (and sparingly)

Color is a spotlight, not wallpaper. Humans reliably distinguish only around seven distinct hues – beyond that, you’re adding noise. Choose the right palette for the job: sequential for ordered magnitude, diverging when there’s a meaningful midpoint (e.g., 0 or target), categorical for distinct groups.

Keep a small set of semantic colors (e.g., green = good, red = risk) and reserve accent colors for true highlights. Let most elements live in neutral tones so highlights actually pop.

6 Let Whitespace do the heavy lifting

Borders and gridlines often fight your data. Use whitespace and soft contrast to define groups and guide the eye. Consistent spacing builds rhythm and reduces cognitive load; inconsistent spacing makes layouts feel chaotic even when the data is right.

When in doubt, remove lines and increase spacing. If you need separation, try a subtle background tint rather than heavy boxes.

7 Establish a clear Visual Hierarchy

Hierarchy answers: “What should I look at first, second, third?” Use size (big KPI, smaller support charts), position (top-left to bottom-right scanning), and color (sparingly) to stage attention. Sorted charts beat unsorted ones when your goal is comparison.

Consistent typographic scaling (title > subtitle > label) reinforces hierarchy and reduces the need for visual clutter.

8 Design for Consistency and Feedback

Consistency turns dashboards from “something to read” into “something you can perceive.” Standardize terminology, icons, color meanings, and navigation patterns. Provide subtle feedback on interactions (pressed states, breadcrumbs, active filters) so users never feel lost.

Offer an “undo” or “clear filters” action wherever possible. Confidence rises when users can explore without fear of breaking the view.

9 Compose the Page like a Product

Treat the dashboard like a product screen: every element must earn its place. Prefer light greys and whitespace to achieve separation, align everything (left-align text is safest), and remove redundancy (don’t repeat identical legends or labels). Keep scales identical when you expect comparison.

Design for the consumption context—many stakeholders check dashboards on laptops or phones. “Mobile-first thinking” forces clarity and reduces ornamental fluff.

10 Ship with a Checklist—and Keep Learning

Great dashboards are iterated, not imagined. Use a pre-flight checklist before production: purpose defined, navigation clear, styles consistent, icons and colors standardized, location awareness (“Where am I?”), confirmations on close, and easy undo. Then gather user feedback and refine.

Finally, invest in visual literacy. Periodic team reviews, design guidelines, and curated reading (Few, Cairo, Knaflic, Wexler et al.) build a shared language that outlasts any tool migration.

Taking the Next Steps with SimpleFi Solutions

Why SimpleFI Solutions?

SimpleFi Solutions stands out as a premier partner for SAP customers embarking on their journey with SAP Business Data Cloud (BDC). With a senior leadership team averaging over 20 years in data management, analytics, finance and accounting, and more than 15 years in Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) implementations, SimpleFi combines deep financial acumen with technical expertise in SAP’s data solutions, including SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Datasphere, and SAP Business AI.

As an SAP Gold Partner recognized for excellence in planning, analytics, and consolidations, SimpleFi offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to the needs of the office of the CFO. Their approach integrates business process design, automation, and implementation, ensuring that clients can leverage SAP Business Data Cloud to unify data sources, enhance decision-making, and accelerate time to value.

Moreover, SimpleFi’s commitment to delivering pre-packaged solutions and their active participation in SAP’s Partner-Led Territories initiative underscore their capability to guide organizations through the complexities of modern data strategies. Their proven track record in deploying SAP solutions positions them as a trusted advisor for businesses aiming to harness the full potential of their data assets.

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Watch Ingo’s recent webinar on this topic on our OnDemand Channel.

Author: Ingo Hilgefort

*the content in this blog is the opinion of the writer and does not reflect the official views and position of SimpleFi or their strategic partners including SAP.  

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