Unit 12: Dashboard and Design Report

1 - Description:

For my latest project, I was tasked with creating a sales dashboard and an accompanying design report. Drawing on my experience with Power BI, I initially selected an academic dataset, believing it would be suitable for the task. However, after presenting my draft during a seminar, my professor suggested that an industry dataset might better fulfill the assignment requirements. I switched to a sales dataset from Kaggle, which allowed me to meet the assignment's requirements. I subsequesntly recieved positive feedback from my professor on this new dashboard.

2 - Feelings:

At first, I felt confident using Power BI, as I had experience creating dashboards for my department. However, I debated whether to step out of my comfort zone and use Tableau, the recommended tool. Although I chose Power BI, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing an opportunity to learn something new. When my professor pointed out that my original dataset wasn’t suitable, I initially felt uncertain, but I was excited to try something new with the industry data. The positive feedback from the final seminar boosted my confidence in my design decisions.

3 - Evaluation:

The project had both successes and challenges. My decision to stick with Power BI ensured that I could leverage my expertise and deliver a high-quality dashboard. However, I missed out on learning Tableau, which I now realize could have been valuable. Additionally, receiving early feedback on my dataset choice was crucial, as switching to industry data allowed me to meet the assignment requirements more effectively. The final product received positive feedback, reinforcing that my user-centered design approach worked well.

4 - Analysis:

The project highlighted the importance of selecting the right dataset and considering the end user’s needs in dashboard design. Feedback from my professor played a key role in improving the final result. The experience also emphasized the value of balancing expertise with opportunities to step out of my comfort zone. While I delivered a solid project, I recognize that trying Tableau could have further broadened my skill set.

5 - Conclusion

Looking back, I realize that while I made good use of my Power BI skills, there is value in exploring new tools like Tableau. The project reinforced the importance of feedback and iterative design, helping me grow both in terms of technical ability and design thinking. In the future, I’ll strive to push myself beyond familiar tools when opportunities arise.

6 - Action Plan:

Moving forward, I plan to explore Tableau in future projects to ensure I broaden my digital toolkit. I’ll also continue to seek out feedback early in the process, as it proved invaluable in this project. Additionally, I will ensure that that I don't let a lack of prior experience with something prevent me from engaging with it and adding it to my digital toolkit.