What Is Saas?
SaaS, or software as a service, is about making your life easier by having access to excellent services online without the hassle of downloading software. It is also known as on-demand software.
See it as a fast food joint where you walk in and get what you want without having to buy ingredients and spend time cooking a meal that will be eaten in a few minutes. SaaS allows users to perform simple tasks without downloading, installing, or doing other installation processes.
The earliest forms of SaaS were like the inaugural of the digital world — emails and Customer Relations Management sites. They started with simple tasks but struggled with connectivity, security, and loading speed. Then SaaS experienced more innovation, the superhero that swooped in to save the day by making the Internet more accessible, naturally drawing in more users.
Now, SaaS has become very popular, and more improvements have been made to simplify the user experience for business owners and users.
- Cloud-based features
- Increased security
- Flexibilities
Examples of Popular SaaS are:
- Google services and Products (Gmail, Notes, Slides)
- Hubspot
- Trello
- Tableau
- Shopify
What Is A Dashboard?
Dashboards are powerful tools for data analytics and information management. They help to show to big data with simple illustrations and visualizations like bar charts, pie charts, etc. They manage information so that changes are made regularly, and previous data are stored for future decision-making processes.
Dashboards help turn raw data into useful information for decision-making, performing specific tasks, and measuring progress over time. They are essential tools that determine the success or failure of a SaaS product because they give users the first impression of the brand. So, designers should pay extra attention to the SaaS Dashboard.
The UI/UX of Dashboard Designs
This is talking about the basic design component, whether UI or UX, your dashboard should have to fulfil users’ needs. It should create room for users to interact easily with the data on their dashboard.
UX Elements of Dashboard Designs
The structure for the dashboard’s functionality is like a foundation for building a nice dashboard. The UI will be almost nonfunctional if the UX is not in place.
Actionability: Actionability is a feature that guides users to take a step forward until the entire task is completed. You can have a dashboard with figures and statistics, but what do the users do with that information? Actionability does that! The key ingredient here is the call to action (CTA). CTAs have to be crisp and prompt the users to take action.
Focus and Clarity: It removes confusion by giving users a headstart on what to do first on the dashboard. A proper information hierarchy will give designers a better idea of arranging elements and features properly.
UI Elements of Dashboard Designs
These are elements that users can directly interact with to perform their tasks. They should be present in a dashboard.
Layout: A dashboard should have a well-defined structure based on the information architecture and user Journey.
Visualizations: The dashboard’s essence is its ability to present data with simple visuals like charts, graphs, tables, and infographics. These visuals are storytelling tools that immerse users in their actions or decisions.
Colour scheme: Colours have meaning and functionality; even shades or tints of the same colour can change the look and feel of a design. It is important to choose a colour palette that speaks for the brand and is easy and soft for users to view.
Typography: The choice of typography influences readability, clarity, and overall brand perception. A fintech can not use cursive or gothic fonts; otherwise, it will just make them appear as a creepy brand. The font sizes and styles are also used to differentiate between elements and pass the proper hierarchical messages to the user.
What Are The Things Your SaaS Dashboard Does Not Need?
Creating an outstanding dashboard involves using your analytical skills to make complex information easily digestible. But what pitfalls should you steer clear of when designing one? Let’s explore a few things to avoid while designing.
Lengthy Information
If the purpose of a dashboard is to make information easy to understand, what then is the need for a bulky explanation? Dashboards should be a compact format for that information and a quick snapshot of key metrics and performance.
Now that computer users have a short attention span, keeping the information simple and short is necessary. Otherwise, the bulky information might overwhelm them, making them skim or ignore it completely.
Moreover, a dashboard is a single page that is supposed to contain important information; long texts will make the interface look cramped and stuffy, especially on mobile devices.
Excessive Decorations
There is an urge to use the latest design skills to please your users. This is a prompt to refuse the urge to over-impress your users. Users don’t really care about the design method or techniques; they only need to perform their tasks.
Excessive decorations can be all over the designs, making them counterproductive for the users. They will only hinder the users from completing their main tasks and accessing the necessary information.
These decorations are not limited to large animations, visual effects like drop shadows, filters, complex graphics, or colourful icons. While these effects have their uses, they should be used in moderation.
Unnecessary Visualization
Even though Dashboard designs mean visualization, excessively using them can be a problem. Charts, lines and graphs should be used for large data, while pie charts should be used to visualize small data.
The element of visualization should also be proportional to their importance. Imagine a dashboard overflowing with pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs, all vying for your attention. It’s like being bombarded by a dozen salespeople simultaneously, each pitching a different product. One visual should give a mental space for the most important visuals to shine.
3D animations are cool, but not for SaaS dashboards. Similarly, a Pie chart is one of the easiest ways of representing information, but when the pie chart is divided into 15 segments, it becomes that one pizza 15 people are trying to share—- very annoying and unsatisfying.
What Are The Best Practices For Saas Dashboard Designs?
You can adopt these practices or rules in our designs, especially analytical dashboards for SaaS brands. It is also important to note that a user-centric SaaS dashboard design should be based on the following criteria:
- The goal of the project (Profit, Volunteer, Research etc.)
- The type of data (Complex, Simple)
- The needs of users
Define Your User Profile.
Who are you designing for? What do they need? How do they get what they need? These questions will give you an idea of your users’ needs and how you can provide value to them.
The first step is to create fictional characters who embody the features of your users—a user persona. This gives you a tangible thing to hold on to throughout your design process. User personas represent the entire user population, so it is advisable to have at least two, to capture all the information from the user research.
User stories come after creating a character. They briefly describe what the user cannot do(the problem) and how he actively seeks a solution. User stories help designers to empathize with the user and create a goal that becomes a pathway to the solution.
Once each user profile has been defined, you can prioritize the most important data set and metrics for each profile. You also get to analyze the data and metrics relevant to the users, which makes them invested in exploring the data and ultimately using it to achieve their goals.
Use Information Hierarchy
It will enable you to sort out the necessary information for the dashboard. Information hierarchy refers to arranging data points and elements within your dashboard, prioritizing the most important information for users.
It’s like a well-organized filing system, guiding users to the most relevant information quickly and effortlessly. An information architecture makes this possible— it is like having a bank for all the information.
After identifying the user’s need, you go to the information bank to pick out necessary data and metrics to arrange them. Use colours, sizes, and larger fonts to guide user attention to essential metrics and figures, allowing users to drill down for a deeper exploration of what they need to do.
Design For Use
People see dashboards as instruments for visualization, and this is not totally correct; dashboards go beyond seeing and understanding the data. They incorporate making decisions and taking action to grow in the necessary industry.
So, dashboards must be usable, dynamic, and functional. They should always have one function that prompts users to take action, such as a comparison or a call to Action. Every data set should have an extra function beyond mere viewing.
For example, an email monitoring table for tracking the receipt and open rate of sent emails should have a feature showing the number of received and open emails with a CTA to send a follow-up mail. This is an example of usability.
Use Interactive And Immersive Elements.
Technology has developed, and so it should show in our designs. Gone are the days of static and boring dashboards. Interactivity and immersion are advanced ways of including users in a particular design.
Allow users to filter and sort data according to their preferences, provide context, and tell stories with the data set. Ensure that users can interact with those features during prototyping and iteration before releasing the final product.
It can be a rotating pie chart that provides different angles of viewing the information. It could be an icon responding to touch or hovering around it or even an intelligent voice assistant advising on what to do next.
These elements will engage the users and give them more reason to stay on the dashboard. They will find using the website attractive, and since they are included, they will remember it for a longer time. Just be careful to know when it is too much, essentially through user research.
Make It Responsive
Responsiveness is a must for every design, not just dashboards. Your SaaS dashboard should be able to snap to any screen size smartly. If users are looking for accessibility, it should also extend to smart devices.
Users should be able to get the same information on the Figma web app and mobile web app because who downloads the Figma mobile app to mirror a prototype?
Responsiveness makes it easy for users to access information anywhere, anytime, provided unrestricted Internet access exists. Don’t have a PC? Don’t worry—your tablet has you covered. Did you leave your tab at home? Your mobile phone can do it for you! A responsive design showcases your commitment to user experience and attention to detail.
Ensure that your visualization scales down to the size of each device without losing or compromising any important dashboard features. Also, ensure the buttons and icons are large enough for touch and scrolling on mobile devices.
Use Figures, Not Paragraphs.
A dashboard will not get an award for the most written content; it doesn’t use words to inform, describe or engage the user, so you should refrain from using them excessively. Of course, the visuals will need labels, titles and brief descriptions.
The dashboard should focus on KPIs and be result-centric. There is no need to explain; use your visuals to show the workings. This will save you time looking for the most descriptive words and save your users time trying to decode what action the dashboard is telling them to take.
Another thing to note is visualizing and using figures the right way. Avoid using things like a 1000% increase to exaggerate; keep it simple and easy to understand. Don’t use the same kind of visualization for all the data sets; have a blend of at least different types in your SaaS Dashboard design.
Benefits of Following These Practices
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- Positive User review: Users will be moved to give reviews when a design has satisfied their needs. Some will even go the extra mile to suggest more friendly options to the brand and refer it to their loved ones.
- Increased User Engagement: An interactive dashboard will make users spend more time trying to satisfy their curiosity and see how they can utilise the dashboard effectively. They get to perform actions and make decisions easily.
- Customer retention: As long as the design keeps improving, users will return for more and even pay for premium access to the dashboard.
- Improved brand perception: A well-organized dashboard gives the impression that a brand is also well-organized and has good customer/user relations structures.
“Data is the new fuel that drives almost every business forward; thus, these businesses become significantly dependent on a dashboard. Dashboards are used across industries to provide real-time data representation. So it is the duty of designers to present the data in a clean and straightforward manner to minimize users’ cognitive load and time spent searching” —Kishor Fogla, Founder of Yellow Slice.
Conclusion
At this stage, you should have a clear vision of your next SaaS project. It must incorporate essential UI/UX elements to provide users with valuable insights and actionable features. The key for any industry or specific dashboard use is to make it interactive, responsive, visually appealing, and user-focused.
If you need extra help, YellowSlice is here to assist your business in designing a dashboard that takes it from zero to hero. Contact us, and we will take it from there.
FAQs about Best Practices for SaaS Dashboard Design
1. Should I include a search bar in my SaaS dashboard?
A Search bar is a helpful element in a design. However, in a dashboard, it should be determined by the complexity of your data visualization. A search bar might be unnecessary for simpler dashboards with little information, but it would be super helpful for complex dashboards with many metrics and functionalities. It will allow users to quickly locate specific data points or features they’re looking for.
2. How often should I refresh the data on my dashboard?
The type of data displayed determines the data refresh rate. A regular refresh may be required for data that is updated in real-time, such as website traffic or social media activity. Monthly sales numbers, which are less time-sensitive, can benefit from a periodic refresh. To balance the most recent data and optimum performance, you can allow users to adjust the refresh rate according to their preferences.
