home / skills / secondsky / claude-skills / kpi-dashboard-design
This skill helps you design effective KPI dashboards by selecting meaningful metrics, arranging clear visual hierarchy, and applying data visualization best
npx playbooks add skill secondsky/claude-skills --skill kpi-dashboard-designReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
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
```css
/* 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
This skill designs effective KPI dashboards that surface the right metrics with clear visual hierarchy and actionable context. It focuses on metric selection, chart mapping, layout templates, and interaction patterns to support executive and analytics workflows. The result is compact, decision-ready dashboards that avoid clutter and emphasize trends and ownership.
I evaluate business goals and map them to measurable KPIs that teams can influence and track frequently. I recommend layout patterns, chart types, color rules, and interaction features (drill-down, filters, date ranges) that match each KPI's data type. I also prescribe refresh cadence and comparison periods to keep context current and meaningful.
How many KPIs should a dashboard have?
Aim for 5–7 primary KPIs per dashboard to keep focus and prevent overload.
Which chart should I use for trends?
Use line charts for trends over time; use bar charts for categorical comparisons.