Agent skill · design visual · wshobson
kpi-dashboard-design
Design effective KPI dashboards with metrics selection, visualization best practices, and real-time monitoring patterns. Use this skill when building an executive SaaS metrics dashboard tracking MRR, churn, and LTV/CAC ratios; designing an operations center with live service health and request throughput; creating a cohort retention analysis view for a product team; or debugging a dashboard where metrics contradict each other due to inconsistent calculation methodology.
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific design patterns and SQL examples for KPI dashboard creation that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-05. 38,570 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
KPI Dashboard Design Comprehensive patterns for designing effective Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards that drive business decisions. When to Use This Skill Designing executive dashboards Selecting meaningful KPIs Building real-time monitoring displays Creating department-specific metrics views Improving existing dashboard layouts Establishing metric governance Core Concepts 1. KPI Framework Level Focus Update Frequency Audience --------------- ---------------- ----------------- ---------- Strategic Long-term goals Monthly/Quarterly Executives Tactical Department goals Weekly/Monthly Managers Operational Day-to-day Real-time/Daily Teams 2. SMART KPIs 3. Dashboard Hierarchy Detailed worked examples and patterns Detailed sections (starting with ## Common KPIs by Department) live in references/details.md. Read that file when the navigation summary above is insufficient. Best Practices Do's Limit to 5-7 KPIs - Focus on what matters Show context - Comparisons, trends, targets Use consistent colors - Red=bad, green=good Enable drilldown - From summary to detail Update appropriately - Match metric frequency Don'ts Don't show vanity metrics - Focus on actionable data Don't overcrowd - White space aids comprehension Don't use 3D charts - They distort perception Don't hide methodology - Document calculations Don't ignore mobile - Ensure responsive design Troubleshooting MRR shown on dashboard contradicts finance's number The most common cause is inconsistent treatment of annual plans. Finance may prorate to a daily rate while the dashboard normalizes to monthly. Align on a single formula and document it directly on the dashboard card: Dashboard shows green but product team reports users complaining The dashboard likely tracks system uptime (a lagging indicator) but not user-facing quality metrics. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills wshobson/kpi-dashboard-design