Pens vs. Pixels: Why Sketching Will Revolutionize Your Data Visualizations

When it comes to creating dashboards, it's tempting to dive in right away and get straight into development.

However, as seasoned analysts know, this approach often leads to unforeseen challenges and can significantly slow the development process down the line.

Let's explore why sketching is not just a helpful exercise, but crucial maintaining a streamlined and effective dashboard and report design process.

What is Sketching?

Before we dive deeper, let's clarify what we mean by ‘sketching’ in the context of dashboard design.

Sketching is the process of creating quick, rough visual representations of your dashboard layout and elements.

It's not about producing polished artwork, but rather about rapidly exploring ideas and layouts.

Sketches can be as simple as boxes and lines on paper or basic shapes created in a digital tool.

Key Elements of a Dashboard Sketch

A typical dashboard sketch might include:

Layout blocks: Rough outlines showing where major elements will be placed.

Chart placeholders: Simple shapes representing different types of charts (e.g., rectangles for bar charts, circles for pie charts).

Labels: Brief text indicating what each element represents.

Annotations: Notes about functionality, data sources, or design considerations.

Navigation elements: Indications of how users might move between different views or sections.

The Pitfalls of Skipping the Sketch Phase

You might think creating a sketch before development is a waste of time.

After all, why not just start building in Tableau or Power BI right away?

Here's what I have found over the years: dashboards created directly in data visualization tools are much more likely to need significant rework than those that have had at least a rough sketch drawn first.

Why does this happen?

Tools aren't designed for ideation: Tableau, Power BI, and similar tools are powerful for data visualization, but they're not built for the free-flowing ideation process. The same way ideation tools like Miro aren’t made for detailed data visualizations.

Premature commitment: Starting in the final tool can lead to committing to ideas too early, before they're fully formed or validated. We often don’t want to change track if we have already committed time and effort to an idea, even if that idea wasn’t fully thought through.

Feedback integration challenges: Making changes based on stakeholder feedback can be time-consuming and frustrating when working directly in the final tool.

The Sketch Advantage

Sketching, whether by hand or digitally, offers numerous benefits:

Rapid iteration: Quickly explore multiple ideas without the constraints of software limitations.

Focus on concepts: Concentrate on the big picture  without getting bogged down in data connections or precise formatting. Do the structures and visual really fulfil the core aims of the dashboard?

Stakeholder alignment: Use sketches to gather early feedback and ensure everyone is on the same page before development begins.

Sketching Methods: Hand vs. Digital 

Both hand sketching and digital sketching have their place in the design process.

Let's explore the pros and cons of each:

Hand Sketching – just you and a pen. And perhaps some paper or a whiteboard.

Pros:

• Absolute freedom: No software limitations to constrain your ideas.

• Tactile experience: The physical act of drawing can stimulate creativity.

• No technical barriers: You don’t need to be Da Vinci, just pick up a pen and paper and you’re good to go!

• Never crashes: Unlike software, you'll never lose work due to a system failure (but keep away from open flames!)

Cons:

• Less shareable: Physical sketches can be harder to distribute to remote team members. Especially with my handwriting…

• Not easily editable: Making changes might require starting from scratch.

Digital Sketching – cool new tools such as Miro.

Pros:

• Easy to share: Digital files can be instantly distributed to stakeholders.

• Editable: Make quick changes without starting over.

• Cleaner appearance: Digital sketches can look more professional for client presentations.

Cons:

• Potential technical issues: As mentioned above, tool crashes can lead to lost work.

• Learning curve: Some team members might need time to become proficient with digital sketching tools.

The Analyst's Perspective: Why We Sketch

As analysts, our job is not just to present data, but to make it meaningful and actionable.

Here's why sketching is invaluable in our work:

Clarifies thinking: The act of sketching forces us to think through the logic of our dashboard layout and flow.

Identifies data gaps: Early sketching can reveal where we might need additional data sources or metrics.

Improves storytelling: By sketching, we can better plan how to guide users through the data narrative.

Enhances collaboration: Sketches provide a common language for analysts, designers, and stakeholders to discuss ideas.

Best Practices for Dashboard Sketching

Start broad, then refine: Begin with rough concepts, then iterate to more detailed sketches.

Involve stakeholders early: Use sketches to gather feedback before investing time in development.

Consider user flow: Think about how users will navigate through the dashboard(s). How do certain visuals compliment or conflict one another? Keep Gestalt principles in mind.

Annotate liberally: Add notes to explain interactions, calculations, or data sources.

Keep it low-fidelity: Resist the urge to make sketches too polished – the goal is rapid ideation, not perfection.

Embrace the Sketch 

While it might feel like an extra step, sketching is a crucial part of the dashboard design process.

It saves time in the long run, leads to better designs, and helps ensure that your final product truly meets the customer needs.

So next time you're tasked with creating a new dashboard, resist the urge to jump straight into your visualization tool.

Take a step back, grab a pen (or open your favourite digital sketching app), and let your ideas flow.

Your future self – and your stakeholders – will thank you for it.

To discuss sketching further, or to understand more ways to enhance your data visualization processes, reach out at:

letstalk@squaregoose.co.uk