Tag: business

Dashboards Drive Great User Experience

A dashboard must enable the user to gain the information and insights they need “at a glance”, while also enabling them to better perform their tasks, and enhance their user experience overall. 

Introduction 

Whenever I drive my car, I am reminded of how its dashboard allows me to maintain control and remain aware of all the actions I need to take, while also being able to pay attention to my driving. My car’s dashboard indicates critical information to me like speed, engine oil temperature, and fuel level among other critical information. As the driver, it is essential for me to remain aware of these data points while I focus on the important task of driving, and the actions of other drivers around me.  

Like many applications, a car’s dashboard provides insight into the car’s inner workings in a user-friendly and intuitive manner, allowing the user to see and act upon information without needing to understand the technical details or the engineering behind it. This is why designing an application around a dashboard, not the other way around, makes sense in ensuring that the application’s features all cater to the data and information needs of the user.  

It is possible to architect an entire application and its features by thinking about the various components that exist on the dashboard, what information they will convey, and how the user will interact with these components. When a dashboard is designed around the user’s needs, the various components of the application must be designed such that they enable the dashboard components to receive the input they need and output the data users expect.  

In the age of AI-focused applications that require the design and development of models to support business requirements and deliver valuable insights, designing an effective dashboard focuses AI teams efforts on building models that deliver impactful output, reflected on the dashboard. 

Types of dashboards 

Dashboard can vary depending on user needs. Those needs can vary depending on whether the dashboard must enable high-level or in-depth analysis, the frequency of data updates required, and the scope of data the dashboard must track. Based on this, dashboards can be categorized into three different categories [1]: 

  • Strategic dashboards: Provide high-level metrics to support making strategic business decisions such as monitoring current business performance against benchmarks and goals. An example metric would be current sales revenue against targets and benchmarks set by the business. A strategic dashboard is mainly used by directors or high-level executives who rely on them to gain insights and make strategic business decisions.  
  • Operational dashboards: Provide real-time data and metrics to enable users to remain proactive and make operational decisions that affect business continuity. Operational dashboards must show data in a clear and easy to understand layout so that users can quickly see and act upon the information displayed. They must also provide the flexibility for users to customize notifications and alerts so that they do not miss taking any important actions. For example, airline flight operations planners may require the ability to monitor flight status and be alerted to potential delays. Some of the metrics a dashboard could show in this case are the status of gate, crew or maintenance operations. 
  • Analytical dashboards: Analytical dashboards use data to visualize and provide insight into both historical and current trends. Analytical dashboards are useful in providing business intelligence by consolidating and analyzing large datasets to produce easy to understand and actionable insights, specifically in AI applications that use machine learning models to product insights. For example, in a sales application the dashboard can provide insight into the number of leads and a breakdown of whether they were generated through phone, social media, email or a corporate website.  

Design principles and best practices 

Much like a car dashboard, an application dashboard must abstract the complexities of the data it displays to enable the user to quickly and easily gain insights and make decisions. To achieve these objectives, the following design principles and best practices should be considered.  

  • Dashboard “architecture”: It is important to think about what the dashboard must achieve based on the dashboard types describes above. Creating a dashboard with clarity, simplicity, and a clear hierarchy of data laid out for quick assessment, ensures that the information presented on the dashboard does not compete for the user’s attention. A well architected dashboard does not overwhelm the user such that they are unable to make clear decisions. It acts as a co-pilot producing all the information the user needs, when they need it.  
  • Visual elements: Choosing the correct visual elements to represent information on the dashboard ensures that the user can quickly and easily interpret the data presented. Close attention should be paid to: 
    • Using the right charts to represent information. For example, use a pie chart instead of a bar chart if there is a need to visualize data percentages. 
    • Designing tables with a minimal number of columns such that they are not overwhelming to the user, making it harder to interpret them. 
    • Paying attention to color coding ensures that charts can be easily scanned without the user straining to distinguish between the various elements the charts represent. It is also important to ensure that all colors chosen contrast properly with each other and that all text overlaid on top of the charts remains easy to read and accessible. 
    • Providing clear definitions for symbols and units ensures no ambiguity as to how to interpret the data presented on the dashboard. 
  • Customization and interactivity: Providing users with the flexibility to customize their dashboard allows them to create a layout that works best for their needs. This includes the ability to add or remove charts or tables, the ability to filter data, drill down and specify time ranges to display the data, where applicable.  
  • Real-time updates and performance: Ensuring that dashboard components and data update quickly and in real-time adds to the dashboard usability and value. This is best achieved by ensuring an efficient design to the dashboard components, such that they display only the information required unless the user decides to interact with them and perform additional filtering or customization. 

When implementing dashboards, the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation and Sustainment (EPIS) framework provides a roadmap for designers and developers to design and develop effective dashboards [2]. Combining human-centered methodology during the exploration and preparation phases of EPIS ensures that the dashboard meets users’ needs and expectations, while implementation science methods are especially important during the implementation and sustainment phases [3]. Care must be taken when implementing dashboards and EPIS provides an excellent framework that will be discussed in more detail in a subsequent article.  

Conclusion 

I always admire the design, layout, and clarity of the information presented to me on my car’s dashboard. The experience I receive when driving my car, through the clear and intuitive design of its dashboard components and instruments, makes every drive enjoyable. All the information I need is presented in real-time, laid out clearly and placed such that it allows me to focus on the task of driving while also paying attention to how my car is behaving. I can adjust, tune and customize the dashboard components in a way that further enhances my driving experience and adds to my sense of control of the car. 

The properties of a car dashboard reflect exactly how an application dashboard must behave. While the user of an application may be using the dashboard under a different context than driving a car, the principles of user experience, interaction design and overall usability still apply. A dashboard must enable the user to gain the information and insights they need “at a glance”, while also enabling them to better perform their tasks, and enhance their user experience overall.  

Designing solutions that work for users is what fuels my work. I’d love to connect and talk through your design ideas or challenges, connect with me today LinkedIn or contact me on Mimico Design House.

References 

[1] Dashboard Types Guide: Strategic, Operational, Tactical + More 

[2] Aarons GA, Hurlburt M, Horwitz SM. Advancing a conceptual model of evidence-based practice implementation in public service sectors. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2011;38(1):4–23. 

[3] From glitter to gold: recommendations for effective dashboards from design through sustainment 

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Designing with Empathy: A Universal Practice for Meaningful Collaboration

In an era marked by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, it is reassuring to recognize that the human capacity for empathy remains unique and irreplaceable.

Introduction

On a recent project I worked on I found that I was not very clear on the subject matter and the complexity of the problems that were presented. I did not know any of the business stakeholders well, and while I had previously worked with some of the project team members, I had not yet developed a meaningful working relationship with them. I needed to get up to speed quickly so that I could start thinking about how to run discovery sessions, and how to frame the problem and ask the right questions in my stakeholder interviews.

To arrive at that stage I needed to get to know the stakeholders, understand what was important to them and what motivated them to embark on this project. To accomplish this, I spent time both privately and in group discussions with the stakeholders. The one-on-one interviews I initially conducted with the stakeholders and the group discovery workshops were helpful in allowing them get to know me as a person first, before being the individual filling the role of the designer on the project.

I was able to gain the stakeholders’ trust by showing that my role was first and foremost focused on understanding their needs and goals, and that I was immersing myself in their experiences. This was essential for the stakeholders because they were trusting me to lead the design on a project that impacted their day-to-day work, and it was also essential for me to help establish a strong foundation and build trust as I embarked on this project.

When I reflect on how I was able to arrive at that stage of trust and partnership with the stakeholders, I realize that it was the fact that I understood and related to how they felt about their work, and that I tried to put myself in their shoes by rephrasing and reconfirming my understanding of their problems. I was successful in letting the stakeholders know that that they were not alone in the challenges they were facing, and that I was there to understand the problems they were trying to solve by really imagining myself as part of their team. I wanted to show that I could relate to them so that together we could start a journey to gain a better perspective and create a great solution.

This example is only one of many I can reflect on throughout my career as a designer, where I realized the fundamental role empathy plays in providing reassurance to myself and others I worked with, that we all shared a mutual care and understanding of our experiences and goals.

In this post, I explore the need for designers to consistently practice empathy throughout all aspects of their role. For designers, empathy extends beyond end users, encompassing every individual involved in the design process, including stakeholders and colleagues. I refer to this as Universal Empathy, wherein a designer is expected to genuinely understand and relate to everyone within their professional sphere to effectively create products that are usable, impactful, and successful.

Why Empathy Matters In Design

In psychology, empathy is defined as the capacity to comprehend and share the feelings of another individual. This extends beyond courteous or considerate behavior, involving the ability to perceive situations from another person’s perspective, understand their emotions, and respond appropriately in alignment with their perspective. Such an understanding allows individuals to convey genuine support, assuring others that their experiences are acknowledged and their needs are recognized.

Tim Brown identifies empathy as a fundamental element in design thinking, particularly when addressing complex problems [1]. As a human-centered methodology, design thinking requires a comprehensive understanding of users’ needs, business requirements, and relevant organizational and technological considerations to achieve successful product development.

Kouprie and Visser [2] provide an in-depth examination of the role of empathy in design by presenting a four-phase model. They describe how designers should adopt a dynamic, multi-stage approach to empathy that includes the following phases:

  • Discovery: In this phase, designers remain inquisitive, actively observing, learning, and asking questions about users.
  • Immersion: This phase involves designers engaging directly in the user experience through interviews, observation sessions, and shadowing activities.
  • Connection: At this stage, designers identify with users and establish a genuine understanding of their feelings regarding their experiences.
  • Detachment: Finally, designers apply their insights objectively, ensuring that design decisions are informed by the observations gathered during earlier stages.

The work by Kouprie and Visser further underscores the designer’s essential role in acting as a catalyst for the phases of empathy. This helps foster the creation of effective solutions that serve both end user and organizational goals.

Universal Empathy

I would like to emphasize how the designer’s universal approach to empathy is essential to their success, the success of their team, and ultimately the success of the products they design. This approach is essential throughout the product design lifecycle, beginning with the design thinking phase and through to the development and implementation phase. Designers play a pivotal role, not only in guiding design discovery and generating research-driven concepts, but also in fostering team cohesion and promoting a collaborative culture rooted in empathy. The designer accomplishes this by bridging the gap between the user needs, stakeholder needs and the project team needs by fostering a comprehensive understanding of the goals of everyone involved in the project.

The designer cultivates universal empathy by:

  • Listening to, understanding and connecting with user needs, connecting with their experiences and knowing when to disconnect in order to be able to make objective design decisions.
  • Building trust with stakeholders and connecting with their needs and establishing a strong foundation to collaborate on building a product that meets the needs of both the business and the end users.
  • Facilitating their team’s understanding of technical design aspects by readily addressing questions, remaining attentive to the team’s needs, and helping when required.
  • Fostering an overall inclusive environment that recognizes and values feedback from everyone in their sphere, promotes successful collaboration and addresses the diverse requirements and viewpoints involved in the design process.

Conclusion

I have consistently found that demonstrating empathy toward those around me has contributed significantly to my success in my work and my career. By cultivating this approach, I learned to listen, understand, acknowledge and fully immerse myself in the experiences and feedback from users, business stakeholders, and my colleagues alike.

I have also been able to help to foster a culture in which individuals support one another and feel comfortable seeking assistance when needed. In my experience, such an environment always promoted greater job satisfaction, personal growth and stronger professional relationships that extended beyond individual tasks and contributed towards shared goals.

In an era marked by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, it is reassuring to recognize that the human capacity for empathy remains unique and irreplaceable.

References

[1] Brown, T. (2009). Change by Design: How Design Thinking Creates New Alternatives for Business and Society. Harvard Business Press.

[2] Kouprie, M., & Visser, F. S. (2009). A framework for empathy in design: Stepping into and out of the user’s life. Journal of Engineering Design, 20(5), 437–448.

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