"I don't want red on my dashboards. It looks too negative."
Nick Desbarats
Independent instructor and best-selling author, data visualization and information dashboard design | LinkedIn Top Data Visualization Voice | Workshop info, email list, etc. at practicalreporting.com
I first heard this objection from a client a number of years ago and it took me so off-guard that I just stared at them and then mumbled something about getting back to them on that. It just seemed like such a bizarre thing to say…
Since that time, I’ve heard this objection at least half a dozen times and have had a chance to formulate a couple of responses that usually convince dashboard users to rethink their “no red” policy. Specifically, these responses are questions that prompt dashboard users to reflect and reconsider:
???????????????? ??:
"OK, just to confirm that I understand your request, you want the dashboard to say that everything is O.K. all the time, and to not show problems in the organization. Did I understand correctly?"
The answer is usually something like, "Well, maybe that’s not ?????????????? what I want," and users eventually realize for themselves that avoiding flagging problems is going to make for a pretty useless dashboard.
???????????????? ??:
"If our users have detailed background knowledge about all the metrics on the dashboard and can easily tell which numbers are good or bad on their own, then you're right, the dashboard doesn’t need red indicators to flag problems. Do our users have detailed background knowledge about all the numbers on the dashboard?"
The answer to this question is virtually always “no,” which, again, usually prompts people to rethink their “no red” policy.
Ultimately, dashboards that don’t visually flag problems will probably be abandoned by users because users don’t have time to manually review all the numbers and figure out which ones require attention, assuming that they even have the background knowledge needed to do so (which they usually don’t).
Having said all this, there are good ways and bad ways to determine which metrics to flag as red and green (or blue and orange for colorblind users). For example, flagging metrics that are worse than the previous period (yesterday, last month, etc.) (https://lnkd.in/eAtwraV ) or flagging metrics that are below a target (https://lnkd.in/dzVyJEEU ) don’t work well at all. Instead, I use a technique called “action dots” (https://lnkd.in/dMmEhn8y )
BTW, there are still some spots left in my in-person workshop in London, U.K. next week (Nov4-7). Info and registration: https://lnkd.in/ePqXDMAd
ex-Microsoft Data & AI Cloud Solution Architect | Power BI SME | Azure Analytics | Azure Data | Synapse | SQL | Leader | Trainer | MCT | Consultant | Product Management | Ontario | Canada
3 周Color perception can also be influenced by cultural and contextual factors. I built a dashboard for a company that had red as a primary color in their brand book. Initially, it was tough because I associated red with alerts and warnings. However, I eventually got used to it and created my first very red dashboard.
Experienced Construction Project Manager Leading Public Capital Projects | Major Renovations | Budgeting | Scheduling | Collaboration
3 周What I have heard is “the project is not in trouble, but if there is any red on the board, leadership will ask us to many question and start freaking out” to that I have said the numbers don’t lie, so let’s dig in and understand “why” then the colors will align with the correct story.
I save businesses 100s of hours with hands-on Google Sheets training. ????
3 周This is curious - Was it just the colour red that was problematic for them? Or the idea of having too many indicators of problems?
Global Fintech IT Leader ? US Navy Veteran
3 周I understand the reluctance to use red in analytical reports and dashboards. However, I once worked under a leader who insisted on focusing only on "green" metrics, effectively concealing areas for improvement from those who needed to see them. Later, another leader pointed out, "If everything is perfect, either your metrics are incorrect, or we're missing something. I believe it's the latter," and he was absolutely right. When he asked for my perspective, I agreed and shared some metrics that highlighted areas of opportunity—yes, using subtle red tones. The takeaway is that, while it's natural to avoid negativity, we risk unintentionally presenting an overly positive picture. Striking a balance with visuals that highlight areas for improvement is essential because numbers alone don’t always tell the full story.
UX | Design Strategy | Dashboards
3 周I’ve noticed that the weird asks are sometimes connected to an underlying fear they don’t feel comfortable sharing up front. I’d recommend adding a question that gets them to describe the response they expect from users. They have to feel you’ve created a safe space to be honest or you won’t get a straight answer. If they are afraid management will be hard on them, you can hit them with all the logic in the world and they won’t budge. You’ll get 101 more odd reasons for resistance.