Information Visualization: Getting Dashboards Right

100% booked

Intermediate course

Closed for enrollment

Course Description

Dashboards are everywhere—in enterprise software, Google Analytics and Facebook Ads Manager, and even popular blogs such as WordPress and Medium. With the big data and business analytics industry set to grow from $130bn in 2016 to more than $203bn in 2020¹, dashboards are going to become increasingly important. 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.

What you will learn

An introduction to the subject of dashboard design
Key considerations, such as using the pre-attentive attributes of color, form, orientation, and spatial location
Visual perception, encompassing how, what, and why we see what we do, and how to use color and images
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

Who should take this course

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

When you take part in this course, you will join a global multidisciplinary team working on the course and the exercises at the same time as you. You will work together to improve your skills and understanding. Your course group will be made up of an incredibly diverse group of professionals, all of whom have the same objective—to become successful designers. It’s your chance to learn, grow, and network with your peers across the planet.

¹ Double-Digit Growth Forecast for the Worldwide Big Data and Business Analytics Market Through 2020 Led by Banking and Manufacturing Investments, International Data Corporation

Lessons in this course

Note: Lessons become available at a schedule of one lesson per week. Once a lesson becomes available, it is open for you forever — you can take all the time you want to go through each lesson. There is no time limit to finish a course, and you always have access to your classmates, course material, and your answers.

Lesson 0: Introductions and welcome

To be scheduled

0.1: Welcome
0.2: Please check your information before continuing
0.3: Meet your peers online
0.4: Meet your peers offline
0.5: The 3 Components of Courses from the Interaction Design Foundation
- 0.6: A mix between Research-based Versus Example-based Learning
- 0.7: Course Structure, Point System and Course Certificate
- 0.8: The Didactics and Educational Choices for IDF’s Courses
- 0.9: Raw Data and Design
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Lesson 1: Information Visualization: An Introduction to Dashboard Design

To be scheduled

1.1: An Introduction: Information Visualization
1.2: Business Intelligence Dashboards: Information Visualization
1.3: Dashboards: Information Visualization
1.4: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
1.5: Consistency and Standards in Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
- 1.6: Dashboards: Following the Information Scent
- 1.7: Fragmentation: Information Visualization
- 1.8: Dashboard Design and Scrolling: Information Visualization
- 1.9: Good Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
- 1.10: Dashboard Design 'No-nos': Information Visualization
- 1.11: Dashboard Design in Practice
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Lesson 2: Dashboard Design: Key Considerations

To be scheduled

2.1: Promoting Insight: Information Visualization
2.2: Limitations of Short-term Memory: Information Visualization
2.3: Dashboard Design and Short-Term Memory: Information Visualization
2.4: 'Data-Ink Ratio': Information Visualization
2.5: Exceptions: Information Visualization
- 2.6: Using Images: Information Visualization
- 2.7: Dashboard Design and Aesthetic Appeal: Information Visualization
- 2.8: Information Visualization
- 2.9: Three Important Questions: Information Visualization
- 2.10: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
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Lesson 3: Dashboard Design: Visual Perception and the Gestalt Principles

To be scheduled

3.1: Dashboard Design and Visual Perception: Information Visualization
3.2: Dashboard Design and the Gestalt Principles: Information Visualization
3.3: Using Colour in Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
3.4: Using Colour: Information Visualization
3.5: Dashboard Design and Visual Highlighting: Information Visualization
- 3.6: Dashboard Design: Information Visualization
- 3.7: Information Visualization
- 3.8: Visual aspects of the Design
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Lesson 4: Dashboard Design Considerations: Practical Application

To be scheduled

4.1: Applying Design Considerations: Dashboard Design
4.2: The Problem With Pie Charts: Dashboard Design
4.3: Consistency and Standards: Dashboard Design
4.4: Conform to the Norm: Dashboard Design
4.5: Using Colour and the General Viewing Experience: Dashboard Design
- 4.6: Discussion Forum
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Lesson 5: Common Display Methods

To be scheduled

5.1: Bar Graphs: Dashboard Design
5.2: Line Chart: Dashboard Design
5.3: Scatter Plot: Dashboard Design
5.4: Tables: Dashboard Design
5.5: Box Plots: Dashboard Design
- 5.6: Pie Charts: Dashboard Design
- 5.7: Display Method-Your Experience
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Lesson 6: Further Dashboard Display Methods

To be scheduled

6.1: Stacked Bar Graphs: Dashboard Design
6.2: Spatial Maps: Dashboard Design
6.3: Information Dials: Dashboard Design
6.4: Icons: Dashboard Design
6.5: Discussion Forum

Lesson 7: Dashboard Design: Think of the Users!

To be scheduled

7.1: Organisation is Key: Usability Considerations
7.2: Permit and Support Meaningful Comparisons: Usability Considerations
7.3: Prevent Inappropriate Comparisons: Usability Considerations
7.4: Aesthetics are Important: Usability Considerations
7.5: Choose Colours Wisely: Usability Considerations
- 7.6: Allow Quick Access: Usability Considerations
- 7.7: Usability Testing: Usability Considerations
- 7.8: Using Skeuomporphism: Yay or Nay?: Dashboard Design
- 7.9: Discussion Forum
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Lesson 8: Dashboard Design: Applying and Summarising

To be scheduled

8.1: The Important Design Questions: Information Dashboard Design
8.2: Application: Dashboard Design
8.3: Daily Sales Dashboard: Dashboard Design
8.4: Accidents Vs. Workers' Pay Dashboard: Dashboard Design
8.5: Discussion Forum

Lesson 9: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

To be scheduled

9.1: Course Evaluation

Industry-trusted UX Course Certificate

You earn an industry-trusted Course Certificate once you complete the course - even if you finish the course after the official end date. In other words, as long as you have enrolled in the course you will always be able to finish it and to get a course certificate. You will also have permanent access to the course material, your answers and the discussions.

Course Certificates from the IDF are verifiable and trusted by industry leaders. You can highlight them on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.

Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry leaders, who have taken up company memberships with the IDF:

Practical Info

Price

Members can take as many courses as they want with no additional costs.
Self-paced online course

Each week throughout the course you get access to a new lesson, but you can move through the lessons at your own pace.
Number of course participants

To maximize professional networking during the course we limit the number of course participants.
Access to course material

As long as you remain a member, you will always have access to the course material, your answers and the discussions — even after the official end of the course.
Place of lesson

Lessons are entirely online. Optional physical UX meet-ups may take place in your city via our Local Groups initiative.
Target group

Please see the course description for detailed information on who are recommended to take this course.
Reviews

Read reviews and what people are saying about us.
Workload per week

It should take around 1 to 5 hours per week, depending on your level of ambition.

How IDF courses work

Attend lessons at your own pace

Each week throughout the course, you get access to a new lesson, but you can move through the lessons at your own pace. This means you can learn before you leave for work, or in between breaks — in as little as 15 minutes per day.
Network online and offline

Network with your fellow course-takers online, through discussion forums inside the lessons. You can also connect with your peers offline via IDF’s Local Groups. Local Groups connect you with other designers around your city who share your passion for UX design.
Advance your career

Get a verifiable and industry-trusted Course Certificate once you’ve scored at least 70% of course points. Highlight your Course Certificates on your résumé, your LinkedIn profile, or your website to showcase your newly mastered skills.

Student testimonials

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!

See other reviews of the IDF

IDF members can take unlimited courses

All members of the Interaction Design Foundation are able to take unlimited courses with no additional costs. Once enrolled into a course, all members also have lifetime access to course materials, their answers and all discussions within lessons.

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Please note: If you have a student membership, you can take a maximum of three courses at the same time. As a student, you can thus still take all the courses you would like – free of extra charges – just as long as you finish them (or drop them) so that you don’t have more than three ongoing courses at the same time.

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I missed the enrollment date and now the course is closed. Will I have any opportunity to take the course in the future?

Don't worry if you missed the course. We will re-run it shortly. One of the reasons we continually open and close courses is to be able to control the classroom size.

Networking is a large part of our value proposition, so we want just the right amount of people inside the courses. That is also why we display the "XX % percent booked" on our course icons.

We’ll re-schedule the course and make it available for sign-up on https://www.interaction-design.org/courses in only about a week (or perhaps a little bit more). The actual start date of the course will be a few weeks after sign-ups begin too. We’ve found that this is the best way to maximize flexibility and convenience for everyone, especially you as you put your course program together.

Do I have to be online at an exact time to study?

No. You can set your own study schedule. There are no "live sessions" / "webinars" since our members are from all timezones around the world. We are a truly global community – with members in every single corner of the world.

Thus, once you are enrolled, you can take all the time you want to complete a given course. Each "classroom" for each course will never close, so you’ll have permanent access to your classmates and your course material (and your own answers).

Will I receive a Course Certificate?

Yes. Every time you complete a course you get an industry-recognized Course Certificate. There is no limit to how many Course Certificates you can earn during your membership. You will also receive a 3-step guide on how to include your Course Certificate on LinkedIn and in your Resume/CV.

You can see an example of a Course Certificate at the bottom of the Course Catalogue.

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You can simply go to the course page and click on the “Drop Course” button which will also erase all your course progress and answers.

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We do this because it is much more efficient than doing one little step every day. It's part of our lean/agile work philosophy and that approach to efficiency is one of the factors that keeps our membership prices so incredibly low.

We are doing it to save you money and as part of our mission to lower the cost of high-quality design education.

I have updated my name but my course certificate is not updated?

Please contact us at hello@interaction-design.org and our member support will regenerate your certificate with a correct name.

I have started the course/lesson later than the specified date, are my answers still going to be marked?

We will be marking answers for as long as there are active members. Therefore, even if you are the only person taking a lesson at one point your answers will be marked.

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Multiple-choice questions are automatically graded in the system, whilst open-ended questions are marked by the course instructors.

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English is not my first language so it takes me longer to learn the course contents, will I still be able to answer questions after the course completion date?

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New lessons are starting before I have had the chance to complete all aspects of the previous lesson(s); am I going to be locked out of these unfinished lessons?

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We only recommend that you try to stick to the same schedule as other participants because they may have moved on to other lessons, which could mean you miss out on the social aspects of the course(s). However, we anticipate that there will be a constant flow of participants working through different lessons and courses, so you should not miss out. Alternatively, we will be running all courses again so there is no rush.

Are course certificates awarded on a specific date?

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When will I receive my Course Certificate?

Course certificates will be given to participants when they have scored more than 70% of the full course points. For example, if a course contains eight lessons each with ten questions, you will receive a course certificate when the instructor has awarded you at least 70% of the full course points.

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Certification authority – The Interaction Design Foundation
License number – Your membership ID number
Time period – Input the date written on your certificate (e.g. May, 2017)
Check the button “This certification does not expire”
Certification URL: Input the certificate URL provided on your course page

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Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add your certificate to your LinkedIn profile:

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile page and scroll to your "Accomplishments” section

2. Click on the plus button and choose “Certification”

3. In the following fields add:
• Certification name – Membership Certificate
• Certification authority – The Interaction Design Foundation
• License number – Your membership ID number
• Time period – Input the date when you joined our community (e.g. May, 2017)
• Check the button “This certification does not expire”
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As a member, you can take as many courses as you want with no additional costs. This means you only have to pay our membership fee to take an unlimited number of courses. There are no further charges on top of the membership fee.

Get help with courses

Information Visualization: Getting Dashboards Right

Course Description

What you will learn

Who should take this course

Learn and work with a global team of designers

Lessons in this course

Lesson 0: Introductions and welcome

Lesson 1: Information Visualization: An Introduction to Dashboard Design

Lesson 2: Dashboard Design: Key Considerations

Lesson 3: Dashboard Design: Visual Perception and the Gestalt Principles

Lesson 4: Dashboard Design Considerations: Practical Application

Lesson 5: Common Display Methods

Lesson 6: Further Dashboard Display Methods

Lesson 7: Dashboard Design: Think of the Users!

Lesson 8: Dashboard Design: Applying and Summarising

Lesson 9: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

Industry-trusted UX Course Certificate

How IDF courses work

Attend lessons at your own pace

Network online and offline

Advance your career

Student testimonials

IDF members can take unlimited courses

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Courses