Why Your First Dashboard Looks Terrible
Published 13 days ago • 1 min read • DASHBOARD DESIGN
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Why Your First Dashboard Will Probably Look Terrible
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EVERY GREAT DESIGNER STARTED SOMEWHERE
Why Your First Dashboard Will Probably Look Terrible
Don’t panic. Professional dashboard design is a skill you can learn.
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Most dashboards you build when you’re starting out will look terrible.
Then you look at something created by an expert and think:
“Why does theirs look so clean and polished?”
Is it possible? Definitely.
Will it take work? Yes.
Will it take years? Definitely not.
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🧠 START WITH THE FUNDAMENTALS
Ask These Three Simple Questions
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🧩 ARE THERE MORE THAN 2–3 MAJOR ELEMENTS?
Too many competing elements can overcrowd the dashboard and overwhelm the reader.
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↔️ IS THERE ENOUGH SPACE?
A dashboard without spacing is like a book without paragraphs. Your eyes struggle to separate one idea from another.
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🎨 DO YOUR COLOURS MEAN SOMETHING?
Colour should communicate. Otherwise, it’s like a traffic light where every light is the same colour.
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✨ GREAT DESIGN IS LEARNED
Simple Principles Create Professional Results
These ideas sound simple.
That’s the point.
Great dashboard design isn’t about adding more. Often, it’s about understanding:
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What to leave out |
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Where to create space |
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How to direct attention |
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Master the fundamentals and your dashboards will start looking cleaner, simpler and far more professional.
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🚀 START BUILDING YOUR SKILLS
First Steps With Tableau
Start with the fundamentals and learn how to transform raw data into your first interactive Tableau dashboard.
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Keep creating,
Jed
Jellyman Education
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600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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