Excel Dashboard Design Essential: Presentations

Introduction

Excel Dashboard Design is an invaluable tool for presenting meaningful data in a concise and understandable way. It can be leveraged to render dynamic, interactive visuals that help explain complex information quickly and efficiently. By incorporating sophisticated visuals into presentations, Excel Dashboard Design can add depth and precision to presentations and help you make your point.

When creating Excel Dashboard Design presentations, here are a few recommendations to keep in mind:

• Focus on creating visuals that are relevant to the data being presented.
• Make sure visuals are easy to understand and navigate.
• Ensure visuals are designed with the user in mind.
• Allow end users to interact with the visualizations as requested.
• Utilize data sources that are reliable and consistent.

2. Basics of Excel Dashboard Design

A dashboard is a visual representation of information – usually in the form of charts, graphs, and tables – that enable quick analysis and interpretation. Dashboards enable a person to easily digest a large amount of information quickly, often bringing complex data to life. Excel dashboards are an essential element of presentations and can be used to visually represent data in an easily understood format.

A. Different types of dashboards

There are several different types of Excel dashboards that can be used for presentations. These include metric-based dashboards, portfolio dashboards, executive dashboards, project management dashboards, sales dashboards, and customer service dashboards. Each type of dashboard offers its own unique set of tools and capabilities and can be tailored to meet specific needs.

B. Steps to creating effective dashboards

Creating an effective Excel dashboard is key to getting the most out of your presentation. In order to get it right, there are a few steps you must take:

• Collect and organize the data. Excel dashboards are only as good as the data they are based on, so it’s important to make sure you have collected and organized the data accurately.
• Choose the right visuals. Different visuals can help highlight different aspects of the data and provide different insights, so it’s important to choose the right visuals for your presentation.
• Layout the dashboards. Proper layout is key to ensuring that people don’t miss any important information or key points in your presentation.
• Configure the dashboards. Configuring the dashboards will ensure that they display the data in the best possible way to bring the insights and information to life.

Create Materials

When designing an Excel dashboard presentation, an important first step is to create materials to present. Before starting to build your dashboard, there are a few things you'll need to do.

Determine the Goal of the Presentation

Before any design decisions are made, you'll need to understand why the presentation is being made. Ask questions such as what is your audience expecting from the presentation, what solution are you looking to provide, and how can your dashboard help achieve this goal. Once this is established, you can move on to gathering relevant data.

Gather Relevant Data

Your next step is to acquire the data that is necessary for your dashboard. Depending on the goal of your presentation, the data can differ, but the data should all be relevant to the story you want to tell. After acquiring the data, you can organize the data and create a plan for the design of your dashboard.

Create a Storyboard That Outlines the Components of the Dashboard

The storyboard should act as a blueprint for the design of your dashboard. It should highlight key components and inform the order of the information presented. The storyboard should contain all the elements that you plan to include and serve as a reference while building your dashboard.

When creating the storyboard, think like an artist. Outline the reasoning and emotions behind why the dashboard should appear in a certain way and create a strong visual to display the data. With the right narrative, your dashboard can look clean and organized, and meaningful insights can be gleaned from the data.

Host a Meeting

Hosting a successful meeting to present your Excel dashboard design is key to fulfilling the project's goals. Make sure to keep the following steps in mind in order to give an impactful presentation:

Prepare by Familiarizing Yourself with the Material

Before hosting the meeting, it is important to make sure you familiarize yourself with the material. Take the time to review the dashboard ahead of time and make sure you understand the content and organization. Knowing the details ahead of time will make the presentation smooth and create a much better impression on the audience.

Ensure the Presentation is Organized and Straightforward

It is important for the presentation to be organized and straightforward. A well-structured, easy to understand presentation will resonate with the audience and be much more appreciated. Organize the information in such a way that it is easy to remember and grasp. Make sure to focus on the main topics of the presentation rather than going into excessive detail.

Understand the Audience and Make Necessary Adjustments

Understanding the needs of your audience is also essential for an effective presentation. Get to know the background information of the people attending the presentation and make necessary adjustments to the presentation so that it fits their understanding and is more understandable. Assess the audience and prepare a presentation that meets the needs of the attendees.

• Familiarize yourself with the material and main topics.
• Organize and structure the presentation for better understanding.
• Understand the audience's background and make necessary adjustments.

Include Chart Types

When selecting charts for a dashboard, there are many different types of charts and graphs to consider. Here are the four most common types of charts used in dashboard design.

Bar Graphs

Bar graphs are a great way to compare different categories. They are a great visual for presenting data, making it easy to comprehend the differences between two values. Their simple, two or three dimensional design make them a popular choice for dashboards.

Pie Charts

Pie charts are another popular choice for presenting data. Great for displaying the differences between discrete categories, their circular shape allows them to be visually appealing, making them a great way to present data with a high level of clarity.

Line Graphs

Line graphs are one of the oldest and most popular charts used to present data. Line graphs are good for tracking changes over time and displaying trends. They are often used to compare multiple data sets and can be customized to fit the needs of the user.

Table Charts

Table charts are great for displaying large amounts of data in an easy-to-understand format. They are often used to quickly parse, filter, or aggregate data. Table charts allow users to visually filter and explore data in a dashboard.

Finalize Presentation

Once you have created your Excel Dashboard Design Presentation, there are a few vital steps you must take to make sure your presentation is ready and presented correctly. Take a look at the following points to ensure they are completed before you present your work.

A. Preview and edit the dashboard

You should always give yourself the time to review your dashboard and make changes if required. Doing this will help to ensure the accuracy of your presentation, giving viewers all the correct information. You should preview your dashboard on a projector to ensure it is formatted correctly on the big screen. This step also allows you to get a better overview of the presentation and think about which additional elements should be adjusted or added.

B. Include the key takeaways

Every presentation viewed should leave the audience with something to take away. To ensure this, make sure you include a brief summary of the key takeaways of your presentation. This will leave those in attendance with a better understanding of the message you are trying to communicate and a sense of completion.

C. Integrate interactivity

Interactivity in presentations engages your audience, so they remain interested and comprehend the message. You can do this by linking data tables, values, and formulas to easily show different changes and relationships. There are also a range of tools available that also allow your audience to interact with the content, providing an exciting and enjoyable experience.

Conclusion

Excel dashboard design is an incredibly important part of making an effective presentation. A well-designed, eye-catching visualization allows the presenter to communicate information quickly and effectively, as well as engage their audience. An effective dashboard can help to summarize data points, providing an easier way for people to analyze and assimilate information. Furthermore, buttons, charts, and other interactive features can provide a creative way to delve deeper into the data, allowing users to find more insights. Good dashboard design also helps to avoid unnecessary distractions and make the content more accessible by creating a clear interface that is easy to understand.

Overall, excel dashboard design is an essential part of creating engaging, attractive presentations that draw interest and get results. Dashboards provide a great way to display complex data in a visually appealing way, allowing the presenter to easily highlight key insights and draw out data-driven conclusions. By utilizing interactive features and engaging visuals, dashboard design can be a powerful tool for drawing interest, making an impact and getting results.