Blog

Using Mental Models for Successful Dashboard Design

by Marya Kaska | Nov 22, 2020 | Data Visualization, Scoping

What do you need to build a tool that’s useful for your client? The idea is to understand how they will use the data to support their job.

Layout in Dashboard Design: 3 Guidelines to Follow

by Marya Kaska | Nov 19, 2020 | Building, Data Visualization

Arranging information poorly is a common mistake when designing dashboards. Follow these 3 guidelines to establish a visual hierarchy.

The Importance of Graph Choice in Dashboard Design

by Marya Kaska | Nov 10, 2020 | Building, Data Visualization

Choosing the right graph for your visualization depends on how accurately you want to display information. Different types of graphs make it easier to read certain types of information. How can you make the right choice?

Dashboard Vision’s Annual Pumpkin Carving Competition

by Marya Kaska | Oct 31, 2020 | Data Visualization

It’s not every day that our office gets to relax while taking on a creative challenge together. Check out our spooky Halloween pumpkins!

Why Focusing on Your Audience is Crucial in Dashboard Design

by Marya Kaska | Oct 26, 2020 | Data Visualization, Groundwork

Communicating data is about the story you want to tell. Choosing the right one depends on your audience. You must think with the end in mind.

Goldilocks and the Three Graphs

by Marya Kaska | Oct 16, 2020 | Building, Data Visualization

It was pretty easy for little Goldi to figure out the bed that was “just right” by sitting on it. When we evaluate our visualizations, though, we need a little more than just “gut feel”’ Luckily, there is a handy visual for you to get it “just right”. Think back to a...

PPT: Just doing its job

by Marya Kaska | Oct 11, 2020 | Data Visualization

PowerPoint gets such a bad rap. More often than not, it’s because the presenter chooses the wrong story to tell. What do you think?

“The pump don’t work ’cause the vandals took the handles”

by Marya Kaska | Nov 7, 2019 | Data Visualization

One of my all-time favorite Bob Dylan quotes applies to this story because I’m talking about pumps and why they are not working or, better said, why their design isn’t. So, look at these 2 lotion bottles. The one on the left is advertised as having a “smart pump” and...

Donuts and Funnel Charts…to Display Data?

by Marya Kaska | Mar 16, 2019 | Data Visualization

Don’t get me wrong, I love donuts, the sugary kind. But when a donut shape is used to display information, I’m not a big fan as it’s often just too darn hard to read. Take the new social network visual below by Zoom Charts. When you click on the face, a donut graph...

Do your visuals pass the pre-attentive test?

by Marya Kaska | Oct 2, 2018 | Data Visualization

“Effective information visualization is built on an understanding of how we see and think.” – Stephen Few Now You See It: Simple Visualization Techniques for Quantitative AnalysisMy last blog mentioned creating graphs that facilitate our ability to grasp information...