What practice helps ensure a dashboard supports decision-making without overload?

• A. Provide every metric with no prioritization.
• B. Layer metrics with drill-down, but keep a clean main view and avoid overload.
• C. Use only color-coding without labels.
• D. Hide data sources.

Answer: (B)

Designing dashboards to support decision-making without overload hinges on presenting essential information first, with the option to explore details as needed. The best approach is to layer metrics with drill-down capabilities while keeping the main view clean. This creates a clear visual hierarchy: the most important indicators are immediately visible, so decisions can be made quickly, and deeper data can be accessed if more context is required. It reduces cognitive load by avoiding a wall of numbers in the initial view and supports both quick scans and in-depth analysis when appropriate.

Providing every metric with no prioritization overwhelms users and obscures what matters for action, making it hard to decide what to do next. Relying on color-coding alone without labels removes crucial context and can create confusion, plus it can be inaccessible to color-blind users. Hiding data sources erodes trust and transparency, making it difficult to validate information or understand its provenance.