kpi-dashboard-design

name	kpi-dashboard-design
description	Designs effective KPI dashboards with proper metric selection, visual hierarchy, and data visualization best practices. Use when building executive dashboards, creating analytics views, or presenting business metrics.
license	MIT

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