Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Get exclusive access to thought-provoking articles, bonus podcast content, and cutting-edge whitepapers. Become a member of the UX Magazine community today!

Home ›› Business Value and ROI ›› 6 Key Questions to Guide International UX Research ›› The Psychology Behind Information Dashboards

The Psychology Behind Information Dashboards

by Shilpi Choudhury
4 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

Information dashboards give users the control over our environments that we crave on a psychological level.

With data-driven decisions gradually becoming the norm in every industry, the information dashboard has an important role.

With its interactive and intuitive interface and its ability to visualize data in a single screen, it’s becoming a critical tool in the hands of the business user. Moreover, the information dashboard is also making its way into apps used by laypeople for managing day-to-day activities like budget tracking and fitness management.

So what makes information dashboards so appealing to the human mind? What is it that the human mind seeks that is so nicely provided by information dashboards?

Desire to Control

We love to be in control. Imagine a situation where you are unaware of what’s happening around you. Very soon your panic button is switched on and you want to know what’s going on and what you can control.

From an evolutionary standpoint, if we are in control of our environment we have a better chance of survival. Our subconscious mind prepares us for all kinds of danger (fight or flight) based on our perceived level of control.

An information dashboard gives you that control. Whether it’s a personal finance dashboard that makes you conscious of you spending trends or an enterprise marketing dashboard that helps you keep track of your marketing budgets, both heighten your awareness of a situation, giving you the sense of control you crave.

LumenVox Tuner

This Marketo dashboard helps marketing teams collaborate on budgets and keep spending on target.

Most information dashboards use a three-pronged strategy to establish a sense of control:

  1. Giving you a clear understanding of things to help establish a feeling of certainty
  2. Giving you the resources to predict and plan for the future
  3. Helping you complete critical tasks in time to avoid last-minute panic

LumenVox Tuner

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson

Short Short Term Memory

In his article “Short-Term Memory and Web Usability,” Jakob Nielsen points out that the human mind can’t store much information in short term memory and that this is especially true when they are bombarded with multiple abstract or unusual pieces of data in rapid succession. He cites research that suggests our short-term memory holds only about seven chunks of information, and that these fade from our brain in about 20 seconds.

Dashboards work by overcoming this limitation of short-term memory. By displaying all relevant information on a single screen within a user’s eye span, they reduce the dependence on the short term memory. You don’t have to remember anything because it’s all there in front of your eyes.

What is it that the human mind seeks that is so nicely provided by information dashboards?

However, in many scenarios, there is so much data that it won’t fit on a single screen. Dashboards work around the limits of short-term memory in three ways:

1. Using chart and graphs to reduce the dependence on short-term memory

To understand this, let’s consider two ways of visualizing the same data: a table and a graph.

LumenVox Tuner LumenVox Tuner

It is easier to remember the ups and downs in sales from the line chart than it is to remember the exact figures from the table.

2. Providing an overview/summary screen with drill-down options

The overview screen provides a snapshot view of critical data on a single page, reducing the load on short-term memory. Users can then drill down if they need details about a specific dataset.

LumenVox Tuner

The RescueTime Summary screen provides a bird’s eye view of critical metrics, which can be drilled down for further details.

3. Splitting data across tabs and placing all related data under one tab

This helps reduce the cognitive load on the user by breaking information down into digestible chunks. Also, as related data is placed under one tab, it is easier for the user to analyze it.

LumenVox Tuner

Mint splits data across various tabs: Overview, Transactions, Budgets, Goals, Trends, Investments, and Ways to Save.

Ease of Use

Keep it simple, stupid! This principle works as much in business as it does in real life.

Let’s consider an inventory management system. Using pen and paper, it would take several hours to maintain up-to-date records of incoming and outgoing orders (not to mention the running around involved doing so), with today’s digital dashboards this time can be drastically cut.

LumenVox Tuner

Stitch Labs is one such inventory management dashboard that lets merchants monitor their inventory across multiple sales channels.

Also, with responsive designs becoming the norm in the digital industry, these dashboards will gradually become device agnostic, giving users access to the information from their desktops and laptops as well as a plethora of mobile devices. LumenVox Tuner

The FitBit dashboard can be viewed across multiple devices.

Conclusion

Any product that has an information dashboard as one of its key offerings should keep the psychological needs of its end users in mind. Users like being in control, they have a limited short-term memory, and they love things that are simple. These three factors should form the foundation of all dashboard designs. Understand your user’s requirements and add in your design best practices and you have the ingredients for creating the perfect information dashboard.

 

post authorShilpi Choudhury

Shilpi Choudhury

 

I am the Co-Founder & Chief Storyteller at Lemonade in Summer, a design and communications agency based out of Bangalore, India. I love to write about Content Marketing, Design and UX. I blog here.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

Designing for AI? Know what your agent can actually do. This guide breaks down the four core capabilities every UX designer must understand to build smarter, safer, and more user-centered AI experiences.

Article by Greg Nudelman
Secrets of Agentic UX: Emerging Design Patterns for Human Interaction with AI Agents
  • The article examines how UX designers can effectively work with AI agents by understanding the four key capability types that shape agent behavior and user interaction.
  • It emphasizes the importance of evaluating an AI agent’s perception, reasoning, action, and learning abilities early in the design process to create experiences that are realistic, ethical, and user-centered.
  • The piece provides practical frameworks and examples — from smart home devices to healthcare bots — to help designers ask the right questions, collaborate cross-functionally, and scope AI use responsibly.
Share:Secrets of Agentic UX: Emerging Design Patterns for Human Interaction with AI Agents
10 min read

Design systems were meant to streamline design and boost creativity — so why do they often do the opposite?

Article by Itai Vonshak
The Broken Promises of Design Systems: Why Following the Rules Won’t Get You to Great Products
  • The article questions whether design systems really help create better products.
  • It explains how they often limit creativity, are hard to maintain, and don’t scale well.
  • It suggests we need more flexible, AI-powered tools to support great design.
Share:The Broken Promises of Design Systems: Why Following the Rules Won’t Get You to Great Products
3 min read

If we can automate a 787, why not an entire company? Discover how conversational AI and intelligent ecosystems are reshaping the future of work.

Article by Robb Wilson
You Can Automate a 787 — You Can Automate a Company
  • The article explores how automating a plane cockpit led to deeper insights about business automation.
  • It shows how conversational AI and agent-based systems can reduce cognitive load and improve decision-making.
  • It argues that organizations need intelligent ecosystems — not just tools like ChatGPT — to thrive in the age of automation.
Share:You Can Automate a 787 — You Can Automate a Company
8 min read

Join the UX Magazine community!

Stay informed with exclusive content on the intersection of UX, AI agents, and agentic automation—essential reading for future-focused professionals.

Hello!

You're officially a member of the UX Magazine Community.
We're excited to have you with us!

Thank you!

To begin viewing member content, please verify your email.

Tell us about you. Enroll in the course.

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and