March
7
2006
I am equally frustrated by and impressed with the dashboard concept.
Frustrated because of the buzz that it has enjoyed over the past 12 to 18 months. (I’m often turned off by things with buzz or that are over-hyped) and because that simple word seems to trivialize what it represents.
Impressed because, as a word, it conveys all that the report designer tries to do with the added bonus of a strong emotional or visceral impact. I would imagine that when you envision a dashboard in your mind that you, like me, picture the dashboard from your favorite sports car rather than the rather hum-drum and immenently practical dashboard of the early VW beetle. And, as a concept, a dashboard is quickly and easily grasped even out of its primary context of the automobile.
As web analysts or report designers, our job is to clearly and quickly reduce the overwhelming volume and complexity of data at our disposal to recognizable information that our customers can quickly understand and use to make impactful business decisions.
Simplifying that blood sweat and tears of designing an effective display of information into the word ‘dashboard’ both trivializes that work and makes it easier to sell its value to others - so here I sit conflicted.
Welcome to the discussion Clint! This is an interresting topic - I look forward to reading.
Keep in mind how broad a spectrum the term “Dashboard” encompasses. Just check out the collection of dashboard screenshots at http://dashboardspy.wordpress.com to get a sense of what people have called “Dashboards” over the years.
I applaud the recent trend toward making the dashboards prettier and slicker. What it really means for those of us on the conceptualization, analysis, design and implementation side is that it makes the money flow more readily from the business users.