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[Ep 8] PHASE 5: The Story — Visualizing the Insights

  • Writer: Puii Duangtip
    Puii Duangtip
  • Aug 18
  • 2 min read

Updated: Sep 1

The best dashboards tell stories, not just stats


A good dashboard doesn’t just sit there looking pretty — it has an agenda. It nudges. It challenges. It makes sure whoever sees it knows exactly what to do next.


When I started, I thought: Just stack the charts together and we’re done.

Wrong.


What I was really doing was editing a story — one where every number had to justify its seat at the table.



My Golden Rules for Dashboard Storytelling

  1. If it’s here, it's here for a reason. If I can’t explain why in one sentence, it’s gone.

  2. Match the chart to the job.

    • Line charts → Trends over time

    • Column charts → Comparisons at a glance

    • Everything else → Explain why it’s not one of the first two.

  3. Data-ink ratio matters. Cut anything that doesn’t serve the story — borders, shadows, busy backgrounds. Less noise, clearer signal.

  4. Color means something. Green = growth, red = loss, neutral for everything else. It’s not perfect, but it’s consistent.



I built my dashboards.

Then rebuilt them.

Then tore them apart and started again.


Not for aesthetics (okay, maybe a little),

but because the logic and flow weren’t right.


A good dashboard feels like a conversation. The order matters. The eye’s path matters. One insight should lead naturally to the next question.


Structure is the quiet storyteller. Get it right, and people act on it.



I designed 10 dashboards:

  • Executive Summary

  • Campaign Performance

  • Customer Segments

  • Time Trends

  • Store & Channel Breakdown


By the end, I wasn’t just looking at dashboards.

I was looking at the story the data had been trying to tell all along.


Below are my dashboards. Next time, I’ll share how to read them — and turn visuals into a narrative. For now, we’ve reached the end of this data analytics masterclass.


Dashboard showing revenue data: 11.37M lifetime, 2.86M yearly. Includes trends, top cities, buying habits, and campaign ROI with charts.
Dashboard showing customer data: 4327 active this month, $2.27K revenue per customer. Graphs compare spending by age, gender, and loyalty.
Customer data charts show segment growth rates, visit frequency, and spending. Main segments include Champions and Loyal Customers.
Dashboard showing sales data: $8.47M revenue, 529K items, avg order $4.15. Top item: Monty Mushroom Burger. Graphs show trends and demographics.
Dashboard showing city revenue of 2.9M, avg order $66.13, 171K transactions. Charts include age sales drivers, preferred payments, and weather effects.
Dashboard showing campaign performance: $339K spend, $10.96 ROAS, $67.10 avg order. Graphs depict marketing spend, ROAS, and CAC by channel.
Easter Turkey Campaign chart showing sales data, marketing spend, revenue trends, and ROI. Top item: Turkey Dinner. Colors: green, blue, pink.

Back to School Campaign Performance for Aug 20-Sept 10, 2023. Marketing spend $71K. Avg order $68.06. Graphs show revenue trends, channels, ROI, ROAS.
Campaign report for plant-based Mondays, Jan-Mar 2024. Charts show $25K marketing spend, $66.13 order value, top sales in Kamloops, age 25-34.
Dashboard on "Double Points Tuesdays" loyalty campaign with graphs on revenue trends, customer traffic, ad spend, and ROI in various colors.

If you want to see how I interpret these 10 dashboards into insight, here’s the next series: Reading Between the Bars — Finding the Story Your Business Data’s Been Hiding.



💡 Part of my Data × Design Series — follow the journey from raw interview challenge to polished dashboards.


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