Reposted from October 2019
TMI* is a problem in many realms. It has become a parenting truism to only answer the question asked when our kids ask about sex. “Don't tell the kid every single thing you know about a topic; keep it pretty simple and let them ask you for more detail if they need it,” says Dr. Carol Queen, a sexologist.
I think the same principle applies to data dashboards. Those of us who create dashboards have a tendency to add too many charts, too many filters, too many measures, too many dimensions. The idea is to anticipate almost any question the user might have and make it answerable with the dashboard. But usually, that’s TMI. We overwhelm the user. It’s not clear why or how to use the dashboard and so it’s not used at all.
So listen to the sexologist. When designing dashboards, focus each one on just a few questions that your intended users have. Then beta test them with a few of those users. If they want more detail, they will ask for it.
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* too much information
