Excel Tutorial: How To Create A Dashboard In Excel 2013 Pdf

Introduction

Creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF is a crucial skill for anyone looking to present data in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format. Whether you're a business professional, a student, or someone simply looking to organize and analyze data, knowing how to create a dashboard in Excel can elevate your work to the next level. In this tutorial, we will cover the step-by-step process of creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF, empowering you to effectively present your data.

A. Importance of creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF

• Visual representation of data
• Quick and easy analysis
• Professional presentation of information

B. Overview of what will be covered in the tutorial

In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF, including how to format and organize your data, create charts and graphs, and ultimately compile everything into a visually appealing and informative dashboard. By the end of this tutorial, you will have the knowledge and skills to create your own professional-looking dashboards in Excel.

Key Takeaways

• Creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF is a crucial skill for visually presenting data.
• Understanding the basics of Excel 2013, including navigating the interface and understanding functions and formulas, is essential for creating a dashboard.
• Designing the layout of the dashboard and organizing data in a visually appealing way is important for effective presentation.
• Utilizing Excel features such as charts, graphs, and pivot tables can enhance the dashboard and enable dynamic analysis.
• Customizing the dashboard with filters, interactive elements, and saving it as a PDF ensures easy interpretation and functionality.

Understanding the basics of Excel 2013

Excel 2013 is a powerful tool for data analysis and visualization. Before we dive into creating a dashboard, it's important to have a solid understanding of the basics of Excel 2013.

• Excel Ribbon: The ribbon is the primary way of navigating Excel. It contains tabs, each with several groups of related commands.
• Worksheets: Excel workbooks contain individual sheets called worksheets. Each worksheet contains cells organized in columns and rows.
• Cell Navigation: Understanding how to navigate cells using the arrow keys or the mouse is essential for efficient data entry and manipulation.
• Formatting: Excel offers a wide range of formatting options for cells, including number formats, font styles, and cell borders.

• Basic Functions: Excel provides a wide range of functions for performing calculations, such as SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT.
• Formulas: Formulas allow you to perform calculations using the data in your worksheets. Understanding basic formulas such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division is crucial.
• Cell References: Understanding the different types of cell references, including relative, absolute, and mixed, is important for building complex formulas.
• Named Ranges: Using named ranges can make your formulas easier to read and maintain, especially when working with large datasets.

Designing the layout of the dashboard

Creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF requires careful attention to the layout and organization of the data. The design of the dashboard should make it easy for users to quickly interpret the information and make informed decisions. Here are some key considerations for designing the layout of the dashboard:

• Identify the key metrics and data points that are most important for the purpose of the dashboard.
• Consider the audience and their specific needs when determining which data to include.
• Ensure that the data selected is relevant, up-to-date, and accurate.

• Use clear and concise visual elements such as charts, graphs, and tables to present the data.
• Group related data together to make it easier for users to compare and analyze information.
• Choose a color scheme and layout that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Utilizing Excel features to enhance the dashboard

When creating a dashboard in Excel 2013, it’s important to utilize the various features available to enhance the overall functionality and visual appeal of the dashboard. Two key features that can greatly enhance the dashboard are charts and graphs, and pivot tables.

• Choose the right type of chart

  
  

  When incorporating charts and graphs into the dashboard, it’s important to choose the right type of chart that best represents the data. Whether it’s a bar chart, line graph, or pie chart, selecting the appropriate chart type is crucial for effective data visualization.

• Customize chart elements

  
  

  Excel 2013 offers a range of customization options for charts and graphs. Utilize features such as color schemes, data labels, and trendlines to enhance the visual appeal and clarity of the dashboard.

• Summarize and analyze data

  
  

  Pivot tables allow for dynamic analysis of large datasets by summarizing and analyzing data based on different variables. This feature is useful for creating dynamic views of the data within the dashboard.

• Drill-down capability

  
  

  With pivot tables, users can easily drill down into the data to get a more detailed view of specific metrics or categories. This interactive feature adds depth to the dashboard and enables users to explore the data in a more meaningful way.

Customizing the dashboard for easy interpretation

When creating a dashboard in Excel 2013, it's important to customize it in a way that allows for easy interpretation of the data. This can be achieved through adding filters for data manipulation and inserting interactive elements such as drop-down menus.

Filters are a great way to manipulate the data displayed on the dashboard. They allow users to focus on specific elements of the data, making it easier to draw insights and make decisions based on the information presented.

Steps to add filters:

• Select the data range that you want to apply the filter to.
• Go to the "Data" tab on the Excel ribbon, and click on the "Filter" button.
• Dropdown arrows will appear next to each column header, allowing you to filter the data based on specific criteria.

Interactive elements like drop-down menus can greatly enhance the user experience when interacting with the dashboard. They allow for easy selection of specific data points or categories, making the dashboard more dynamic and user-friendly.

Steps to insert drop-down menus:

• First, create a list of items that you want to appear in the drop-down menu.
• Select the cell where you want the drop-down menu to appear.
• Go to the "Data" tab on the Excel ribbon, click on "Data Validation," and then choose "List" as the validation criteria.
• In the "Source" field, enter the range of cells that contain the list of items for the drop-down menu.
• Now, when you click on the cell, a drop-down arrow will appear, allowing you to select an item from the list.

Saving the dashboard as a PDF

Once you have created a visually appealing and functional dashboard in Excel 2013, the next step is to save it as a PDF for easy sharing and viewing. This chapter will guide you through the process of converting the Excel file to a PDF format and ensuring that the PDF maintains the dashboard's functionality.

• Step 1: Click on the "File" tab

  
  

In the Excel 2013 workbook containing your dashboard, navigate to the "File" tab in the top-left corner of the screen.

• Step 2: Select "Save As"

  
  

From the drop-down menu, select "Save As" to open the "Save As" dialog box.

• Step 3: Choose PDF as the file format

  
  

Within the "Save As" dialog box, choose "PDF" from the drop-down menu next to "Save as type."

• Step 4: Click "Save"

  
  

After selecting the PDF file format, click "Save" to convert the Excel file into a PDF format.

• Check interactivity

  
  

After saving the dashboard as a PDF, open the PDF file and test the interactive elements such as buttons, links, and dropdown menus to ensure they function as intended.

• Verify data connections

  
  

If your dashboard contains data connections to external sources, verify that the data is being refreshed properly in the PDF version of the dashboard.

• Test visuals and formatting

  
  

Check that the visuals and formatting of the dashboard remain consistent and visually appealing in the PDF version, including the placement of charts, graphs, and text boxes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a dashboard in Excel 2013 PDF is a powerful way to visualize and analyze data. By following the key steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily create dynamic and informative dashboards for your own projects. We encourage you to apply this tutorial to your own data sets and see the impact it can have on your analysis and reporting. With practice, you will become proficient in creating professional and visually appealing dashboards in Excel 2013 PDF.