How do you create a dashboard that continues to add value?

*This blog was reviewed in March 2025 by Niek van der Laaken and Iga Jarosz (Data Analysts).

Creating a dashboard is often an enjoyable task: you visualise data in a clear overview and design it entirely in your own style. That means you can unleash your creativity as well as your analytical skills! As a data professional, you probably get more energy from creating a dashboard than from writing a report. The downside? Dashboards can quickly multiply. Not every question or topic requires a dashboard.

In this blog, you’ll find 5 key questions to ask yourself and/or your stakeholders to make sure your dashboard becomes a real success.

1. What actions and decisions are made based on the dashboard?

To turn your dashboard into a ‘must-have’ rather than a ‘nice-to-have’, it’s essential that the user is clearly alerted to the information that requires action. Ask in advance what the most important metrics are and highlight them in the dashboard. For example, use green and red figures to show performance against set targets.

2. Who is the user group?

Understanding the dashboard’s purpose is important, but so is knowing who will be using it. What is the user’s level of knowledge? Are all definitions clear? Does everyone (literally) speak the same language? Also consider whether users have the appropriate skills and the correct viewing permissions to work with the dashboard effectively.

3. What device is the dashboard viewed on?

Ask how users intend to view the dashboard. Will it be projected on a large screen during weekly meetings, or accessed on a mobile device during the commute? If the dashboard is viewed in a browser, check which browsers are commonly used. This will help you define the correct layout and avoid stretched or overlapping visuals—issues that can seriously affect usability.

4. How much time does the user have for the dashboard?

This is often overlooked. Every dashboard contains valuable information—so surely users will make time for it, right? Not necessarily. It’s a good idea to ask users how much time they actually have available. By simplifying the dashboard, saving filter settings as bookmarks, or setting defaults, you can reduce the time it takes to use the dashboard—and in doing so, increase usage.

5. What do I do with feedback and questions?

We recommend asking for feedback from users multiple times—both during development and after the dashboard is launched. How are people using the dashboard, and what challenges are they facing? This allows you to quickly address early questions and suggestions. Keep a shared document of new feature requests, and set aside time to actively collect and incorporate feedback. That way, your dashboard stays relevant and up to date.

In addition to these 5 questions, there are several other considerations that can help improve the usability and relevance of your dashboard. Curious to learn more?

Need help developing a dashboard?

At Digital Power, we help you develop dashboards that bring together scattered data, visualise it clearly, and provide immediately actionable insights. This enables faster and better-informed decision-making. We’ve done this for organisations such as Univé, UMC Utrecht, and the Van Gogh Museum.

Interested in what we can do for your organisation? Get in touch.

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