Why the dashboards that divide opinion often drive real change…
If your dashboard gets applause from everyone, it might not help anyone
When a dashboard earns polite applause, vague praise, and zero complaints — it feels like a win.
But it’s often a red flag.
This kind of feedback —
“Looks good.”
“Nice layout.”
“Clean design.”
— usually signals indifference.
And indifference is the dashboard killer.
Dashboards should trigger decisions, not compliments
The best dashboards don’t just present the data. They confront it.
They say:
- This is what matters.
- This is who’s underperforming.
- This is where we’re falling behind.
If no one is unsettled, uncomfortable, or even annoyed — they probably not noticing what’s really important.
Indifference is the most dangerous reaction
Brand strategist Kirstie Maryott said it well:
“The greatest enemy brands face … is indifference.”
(WARC)
Brand polarisation research backs this up: when people love or hate something, they remember it.
That’s emotional connection. That’s impact.
It’s true in marketing.
It’s true in dashboards.
The alternative is to be ignored.
Be Marmite, not mayonnaise
Guy Kawasaki said:
“Don’t be afraid to polarize people… Attempting to please everyone guarantees mediocrity.”
Dashboards should adopt the same mindset.
Don’t label it “Executive Summary.”
Call it what it really is:
- “Q3 Sales Risk Monitor – North Region”
- “Recruitment Pipeline Heatmap”
- “Data Quality Escalation Tracker”
Those titles won’t please everyone — and that’s the point. They signal purpose and urgency.
Why emotional dashboards get remembered — and used
Robert Heath’s theory of Low Attention Processing explains it best:
We don’t have to be paying full attention to be influenced.
We just need emotion to encode memory and behaviour.
Dashboards that trigger a reaction — even mild discomfort — are more likely to stick.
And as Edward Tufte bluntly put it:
“If the statistics are boring, then you’ve got the wrong numbers.”
Dashboards should create conversations, not just reports
New research into conversational analytics reframes dashboards as tools for dialogue, not just information.
Setlur and Mackinlay (Tableau Research) describe dashboards as turn-based interactions — where views are meant to provoke questions, decisions, or course corrections.
(Conversational Analytic Systems)
If no one speaks up in the meeting…
If no decisions change after seeing the data…
Then the dashboard wasn’t polarising enough!
Real dashboards. Real impact.
Here’s what it looks like in the wild:
“I’ve noticed… it’s been a lot less asking for stuff… The product we’re producing… has been an awful lot better. Stakeholders have been really happy. They trust what they’re getting.”
— Stuart, NHS
“When someone else brings a completely different problem… it’s really interesting to see how other people come to a problem.”
— Helen, RAND Europe
These dashboards weren’t designed to be neutral.
They were designed to expose gaps, surface blind spots, and challenge assumptions.
Where it fits in the Powerful Dashboards Framework
This principle touches every stage of the build process:
🔹 1.2 Scope Agreed
Who is this for?
Be bold. Build for the 20% who need it — and accept that the other 80% might complain.
🔹 2.2 Great Charts
Use visuals that spotlight performance gaps, friction points, and decisions.
Avoid smoothing over tension for the sake of aesthetics.
🔹 3.3 MVP Published
Don’t wait for consensus.
Push the version that starts the real conversation, not the one that avoids negative reactions.
Three questions to ask before you hit publish
- Who might hate this dashboard?
- Does it challenge anyone to act differently?
- Does it signal who it’s for — and who it isn’t for?
If the answer to all three is “not really”…
then it probably isn’t going to change anything.
Want to build dashboards that people argue about (in a good way)?
If you’re tired of dashboards that get compliments but not results — you’re not alone.
- 💡 Join the Tableau Insights Community (TIC) — our coaching community for people who want honest feedback and fast progress
- 📆 Or sign up for our next Intermediate Bootcamp — co-led with Tableau Visionary Dawn Michelle Harrington
✨ Build for the 20%. Let the rest complain.
That’s how powerful dashboards get made.
