Concept
1. The F-pattern
People scan screens in an F shape: across the top, down the left, then across again a little lower. So:
- Top row: KPI cards — the headline numbers.
- Top-left: the single most important item (usually revenue vs target).
- Middle: main trend and main comparison.
- Bottom / right: details, tables, notes.
- Filters (slicers): top or a slim left column, so people see what's filtered.
2. The 5-second rule
Show the dashboard to someone for 5 seconds, then hide it. Ask: "Are we doing well or badly? What's the biggest problem?" If they can't answer, the hierarchy is wrong — the key message isn't big or prominent enough.
3. Build on a cell grid
Excel cells are your grid. Set it up once:
- Select all → column width 2 (about 19 px) and row height 15. Now every block is a multiple of small squares.
- Plan zones in columns, e.g. on a 1366-px-wide laptop: margin 2 cols · 4 KPI cards of 14 cols with 2-col gaps · margin.
- Snap charts to cells: hold Alt while dragging or resizing a chart/shape.
- Align and distribute: select shapes → Shape Format → Align (Top, Left) and Distribute Horizontally.
- Keep equal gaps everywhere (e.g. 2 columns / 1 row).
4. A standard layout
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Title + dynamic subtitle (period, filters) [Slicers] │
├─────────────┬─────────────┬─────────────┬────────────────┤
│ KPI: Revenue│ KPI: Margin │ KPI: Orders │ KPI: vs Target │
├─────────────┴─────────────┼─────────────┴────────────────┤
│ Trend: revenue by month │ Comparison: by region │
├───────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ Top products (bar) │ Leaderboard / exceptions │
└───────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
4 KPIs + 4 visuals is plenty for one screen.
5. One screen, no scrolling
Design for the viewer's screen (most laptops show about 1366 × 768 px at 100% zoom with the ribbon collapsed). If it needs scrolling, either remove content or split into a second page with a clear link ("Details →").
Turn off distractions: View → untick Gridlines and Headings; hide the formula bar for presentation copies; set zoom so it fits.
6. Group related things
Things that belong together sit together and look the same: all KPI cards same size and style; a chart and its table side by side; filters in one place. Use whitespace (empty cells), not boxes and borders, to separate groups.
Common mistakes
Most important chart in the bottom-right. Uneven gaps and misaligned edges. Dashboards that need scrolling. Borders around everything.