Chapter 1 of 9 · 3 checks · 2 min
Purpose and audience
A dashboard without a clear audience and question tries to serve everyone and helps no one. These checks pin down who it is for and what they will decide with it.
Name the audience and the decisions the dashboard supportsMust
Why it matters and how to check
The Office for Statistics Regulation says user needs should be at the forefront of any decision about whether a dashboard is needed. A dashboard for an executive weekly review and one for an on-call analyst investigating a drop need different content, detail and refresh rates.
To verify, find a short written brief, a paragraph is enough, that names the primary audience, the three to five questions they will answer with it, and the decisions those answers feed. Every chart on the dashboard should map to one of those questions.
Confirm a dashboard is the right product, not a report or an alertShould
Why it matters and how to check
The OSR guidance notes that after answering its questions you may find you do not need a dashboard, and that a less complex product may meet user needs. A threshold alert suits "tell me when X drops"; a short written report suits "explain what happened last quarter"; a dashboard suits repeated, self-serve exploration of the same questions.
To verify, check the brief says how often the audience will open the dashboard and what they will do there. If the honest answer is "once, to read the conclusion", ship a report instead.
Put the headline numbers first and supporting detail belowShould
Why it matters and how to check
The Analysis Function's dashboard testing guidance recommends an inverted pyramid structure, with headline content first. Readers should get the answer to the main question without scrolling, then find the explanation and the detail below it.
To verify, open the dashboard on a laptop screen and on a phone. The top of the page should show the key figures and their change from the last period; breakdowns and tables should come after.