Recently I have been involved in constructing Oracle BAM dashboards. Usability is a important think when designing BAM dashboards and I found the book Information Dashboard Design very intresting.
In his book Information Dashboard Design, Stephen Few list common mistakes and design patterns for good Dashboards.
The book is avaliable online via Safari and here is the Amazon link
Information Dashboard Design
by Stephen Few
Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: January 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-596-10016-7
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-59-610016-2
Pages: 223
Book Description (From Oreilly Safari)
Dashboards have become popular in recent years as uniquely powerful tools for communicating important information at a glance. Although dashboards are potentially powerful, this potential is rarely realized. The greatest display technology in the world won't solve this if you fail to use effective visual design. And if a dashboard fails to tell you precisely what you need to know in an instant, you'll never use it, even if it's filled with cute gauges, meters, and traffic lights. Don't let your investment in dashboard technology go to waste.
This book will teach you the visual design skills you need to create dashboards that communicate clearly, rapidly, and compellingly. Information Dashboard Design will explain how to:
- Avoid the thirteen mistakes common to dashboard design
- Provide viewers with the information they need quickly and clearly
- Apply what we now know about visual perception to the visual presentation of information
- Minimize distractions, cliches, and unnecessary embellishments that create confusion
- Organize business information to support meaning and usability
- Create an aesthetically pleasing viewing experience
- Maintain consistency of design to provide accurate interpretation
- Optimize the power of dashboard technology by pairing it with visual effectiveness
