One KPI = One Chart: The Golden Rule of Dashboard Design

Dashboards are meant to simplify decision-making, not complicate it. Yet, walk into many organizations and you’ll see dashboards overflowing with numbers, dials, gauges, and colorful charts. The intention is good — “show everything!” — but the result is often overwhelming.

That’s where the principle “One KPI = One Chart” comes in. By designing dashboards around this simple rule, you reduce noise, improve focus, and ensure stakeholders actually act on the insights presented.

Why Dashboards Get Overloaded

1. Fear of Missing Out

Teams often feel that every metric is important. So instead of prioritizing, they cram in everything from revenue to website clicks to survey results.

2. The “Executive Dashboard” Trap

Executives ask for “the full picture,” but without discipline, dashboards turn into laundry lists of KPIs. The more crammed they become, the less usable they are.

3. Data Team Enthusiasm

Data analysts love showing off their capabilities. But what’s insightful in analysis may not translate into a high-level dashboard.