Dashboards seem easy to design.
But building one that actually helps your users?

That’s a whole different story.

In fact, I’d call it one of the hardest things to get right in product design.

Let me explain why.

Most dashboards are just data dumps

Startups love to show off.

“We’ve got all this data, let’s put it in one place!”

But most of the time, that data is noise. Not signal.

And when users land in a dashboard filled with irrelevant charts, guess what happens?
They ignore it. Or worse... They get confused and churn.

Here are three reasons why most dashboards fail, and what to do instead.

1. You’re guessing what matters

Without proper research, you’re just assuming what users might care about.

I’m working with an enterprise analytics startup right now.

They’ve got insane amounts of data, but we had no idea which KPI actually mattered to which user. Or which timeframe was most useful.

We spent two months just figuring out the first version of the dashboard.

And once we shipped it?
A new problem showed up →

2. Different users, different needs

Your product manager, sales lead, and CEO all want different things.

One wants trends.
One wants real-time activity.
One just wants to know: did the invoice go through?

You can’t serve them all with one generic view.

A good dashboard tailors the information to the job your user is trying to complete.

3. Edge cases break everything

You finally know what to show.

Now you realize your charts can lie.

Ever seen a 100% growth chart that just went from 1 to 2?

Or a graph that’s totally unreadable because one number spiked to 12,000?

This is why designing dashboards is so hard.

So how do you build one that actually works?

Here’s the process I follow with clients.

Step 1: Map the jobs to be done

What are the top two or three things your users do regularly?

Inside your product and outside of it.

Now, make sure you priorize them, and get rid of all the other fluff from your list.

That’s your anchor. Every dashboard should support those jobs.

Step 2: Only show what drives action

Don’t just show numbers.

Show why they matter, and what the user can do with them.

For example, if you’re designing for marketers:

• Show blog post performance
• Add a “Write New Post” button
• Highlight top-performing content

If it’s an accounting tool:

• List unpaid invoices
• Display a cash flow trend
• Add a button to “Send Reminder”

Keep it focused.

Most users can only hold around seven things in short-term memory, so cut the clutter.

Step 3: Design for different user contexts

Your dashboard should feel smart.

Like it knows who’s using it and why.

So ask yourself:

• What does a new user with zero data see?
• What does a power user expect on Monday morning?
• What does the founder need to check in 15 seconds?

One layout. Multiple intents.

Design with flexibility in mind.

Final thought

The next time someone says:

Pause.

Dashboards aren’t just pretty charts.
They’re decision tools.

If you get them right, your product feels helpful.
If you get them wrong, it feels broken.

So take your time and ask better questions.

Design for action, not admiration.