KPI Dashboard Design

Design effective dashboards that communicate key metrics clearly.

KPI Selection Framework

Good KPIs are:

• Relevant to business goals

• Measurable and quantifiable

• Influenced by the team

• Updated frequently

• Simple to understand

Common Business KPIs

Goal KPIs

Revenue MRR, ARR, Revenue Growth

Acquisition CAC, New Users, Conversion Rate

Retention Churn Rate, NPS, DAU/MAU

Efficiency LTV:CAC, Burn Rate

Quality Error Rate, Response Time

Dashboard Layout

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Executive Summary │ │ [Revenue ▲12%] [Users ▲8%] [Churn ▼2%] │ ├─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ │ Revenue Trend │ User Acquisition │ │ (Line Chart) │ (Bar Chart) │ │ │ │ ├─────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ │ Retention Funnel │ Top Products │ │ (Funnel Chart) │ (Table) │ │ │ │ └─────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┘

Visual Design Principles

/* Traffic light colors for status / .metric-good { color: #22c55e; } / Green / .metric-warning { color: #f59e0b; } / Amber / .metric-bad { color: #ef4444; } / Red */

/* Visual hierarchy */ .metric-primary { font-size: 2.5rem; font-weight: 700; }

.metric-secondary { font-size: 1.5rem; font-weight: 500; }

Chart Selection

Data Type Chart

Trend over time Line chart

Comparison Bar chart

Composition Pie/Donut

Distribution Histogram

Correlation Scatter plot

Funnel stages Funnel chart

Interactivity Features

• Drill-down to detailed views

• Date range selection

• Filtering by segment

• Export to CSV/PDF

• Scheduled email reports

Best Practices

• Limit to 5-7 KPIs per dashboard

• Show trends, not just snapshots

• Use consistent color coding

• Include comparison periods (vs last month)

• Update data in real-time or hourly

• Review dashboard relevance quarterly

Common Mistakes

• Too many metrics (information overload)

• No clear visual hierarchy

• Missing context (no comparisons)

• Outdated or stale data

• Metrics without ownership