I feel some of the power of dashboards is that there is a very low barrier to entry. Tools like Xcelsius open up dashboards to the business user; however there is definitely a role for highly technical developers in dashboarding projects. For where you want to evolve a dashboard model into something more, into something like a BI application.
For these types of BI projects, there is an argument to split the roles of designing the aesthetics (UI and UX) and the actual technical development, and allocate to experts in each area. In my experience technical people are not always the experts at making things look good, and visa versa. I have see some very nice looking dashboards which are clunky to use, and some ugly dashboards which are very clever in their technical implementation.
How many people actually do this split role development vs the same person designing the form and function of the dashboard?
I take on both roles of developer and designer. However, I have a background in both data visualization as well as development.
I think it is important to educate the end users or requester in good data visualization practices. I hold a 30-60 minute data visualization presentation with the requesting group. I also provide handouts of good and bad dashboard designs as well as a copy of Stephen Few’s book Information Dashboard Design.
I then make the design part of the requirements. I set the boundaries of what is possible with the tool and I make the users tell me how they need to visualize their information in order to make sound decisions.
Once I have the requirements, I will hold another meeting where I put a mock up together in real time without connecting any data to give them a visual idea of what they are asking for. I find this to be very productive and takes roughly an hour. I have had this extend into two or three meetings where they wanted to see some mock interaction (dynamic viability, button clicking, etc…)
I had a very brief fling with just doing the techy stuff while somebody else handled the aesthetics.
Big mistake. I ended up with a design spec that was impossible to achieve. Now I do it all myself as I can manage user expectation far more realistically.
I think all developers should seek to obtain as many design skills as possible. Some people say that a developer is not a designer. I disagree. I think developers need to put as many design skills in their tool belt as possible. And designers should be as familiar with development limitations as possible. When resources are tight, designers are usually where the cut takes place. Here are some great design tips for developers to consider: http://myinsightbi.blogspot.com/2014/08/9-tips-for-visual-beauty-in-dashboards.html
I’ve gotta agree with Craig here. Especially as, in my experience, dashboard projects rarely have a luxury of time or money.
Also, the technical side of the dashboard isn’t THAT complex. It isn’t programming. Anyone who knows how to build reports can learn to make an Xcelsius dashboard with a single day class, or a week of working with a book. The big difference with a professional is having a deep portfolio of tricks to solve specific problems.
If you are going to be working with dashboards, you are specifically working in the overlap space between design and development. That is the nature of most BI work. You need to be comfortable with both aspects.
(BOB member since 2010-09-28)
(BOB member since 2005-03-01)