How do you identify and define the objectives and audience when planning your dashboard?

Let’s look at the steps you can take to identify and define the objectives and audience for your dashboard: 

Step 1: Identify Your Objectives 

Before you can plan your dashboard, you need to establish clear objectives. This involves understanding what you want to achieve and what information you’d like to communicate. Here’s how: 

• Understand the business context: Consider the bigger picture and the specific problem or question your dashboard will address. Review your organization’s strategy, goals, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure alignment. 
•  Define the purpose of the dashboard  
  • Ask yourself: 
    • What actions do you want users to take based on the data? 
    • What decisions will this dashboard support? 
• List your key metrics and KPIs  
  • Determine the most important metrics to include in your dashboard that will help your audience achieve their goals. This could include revenue, customer satisfaction, conversion rates, or other relevant indicators. 

Step 2: Define Your Audience 

Now that you clearly understand your objectives, it’s time to define your audience. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your dashboard’s design, content, and functionality to their needs. 

• Identify the target users: Consider who will be using the dashboard and their roles within the organization. Examples include executives, managers, analysts, or front-line employees. 
• Understand their needs and goals: Interview your target users to understand their specific needs, pain points, and goals. This will help you prioritize the information to include in the dashboard and how it should be presented. 
• Determine the level of data literacy: Your audience’s data literacy will influence the complexity of visualizations and the level of detail required in your dashboard. Consider if your users need a high-level overview, detailed analysis, or both.