Dashboard layout

When you design dashboards, think about how you can improve dashboard usability.

Consider these factors:

• The language you use on dashboards should reflect the language of the dashboard users. 
• Think about how your users will access the dashboard: desktop, laptop, or tablet. Check how the dashboard looks in different formats. Try using screen resolution testing software to see how it displays.
• Does your your audience have special requirements? For example, you might need to consider color blindness when choosing colors for a dashboard.

When you design a dashboard, follow these layout guidelines:

• Avoid cluttering the dashboard. 
• Consider building a landing dashboard in four quadrants. This makes it quick to understand.
• Think about splitting models into inputs, calculations, and outputs. Dashboards can be used to display outcomes effectively.
• Try a top-down approach, with a summary at the top of the dashboard and details at the bottom. Alternatively, use a button to navigate to another dashboard.
• Set the Height and Width pixel settings to -1 to make sure that elements automatically adjust to the screen size.

These Anaplan features may help when designing a dashboard:

• Enable synchronization where users need to see real-time data.
• Add conditional formatting to the data before you add the item to the dashboard.
• Use the dashboard element menu to narrow the focus of the model's data, or filter the view of a grid ready for publishing to a dashboard.
• For charts where multiple items are listed, reduce the view by selecting a chart series to hide it and rescale the chart axis.
• Use the drill down option to see the formula, and details of a grid (from the context menu, right-click then select Drill Down).
• Beware of currency formats: only define them if the dashboard refers to a single currency.
• To control the way the grid displays on the dashboard, be sure to define an appropriate fixed number of decimal places.
• Remind your users they can use the search function from either the context menu or the dashboard element menu to find specific data.