Designing a dashboard to manage bookings for a design conference
Problem statement
The organisers of an international design conference needed a centralised dashboard to manage bookings, track financial performance, and optimise their marketing efforts. Using an excel sheet which held all this information, I was able to create a dashboard interface that would streamline their operations in just 5 hours over 2 days!
Requirements
After speaking with the founder, he provided 6 requirements he wanted:
• See total net sales: to determine profitability
• See number of spaces left: to manage ad spend effectively especially closer to the date of the conference
• See latest orders: to quickly amend/refund/export receipts; ability to search by ticket buyers name or order number
• See customer locations: to see which countries its worth investing ads into further
• See where website traffic is coming from: to see the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
• Filter data by location and data range: to have contextual overview
After speaking with the founder, he provided a list of features he wanted:
• See total net sales: to determine profitability
• See number of spaces left: to manage ad spend effectively especially closer to the date of the conference
• See latest orders: to quickly amend/refund/export receipts; ability to search by ticket buyers name or order number
After speaking with the founder, he provided a list of features he wanted:
• See total net sales: to determine profitability
• See number of spaces left: to manage ad spend effectively especially closer to the date of the conference
• See latest orders: to quickly amend/refund/export receipts; ability to search by ticket buyers name or order number
Design process
The first step involved taking a look at the excel provided to me. The excel presented order dates, Buyers names; emails and locations, the ticket type (live or remote), how much they paid and whether there was an additional tax on the purchase. Using this information I was able to begin designing the dashboard with the intention of showcasing this info.
The first step involved taking a look at the excel provided to me. The excel presented order dates, Buyers names; emails and locations, the ticket type (live or remote), how much they paid and whether there was an additional tax on the purchase. Using this information I was able to begin designing the dashboard with the intention of showcasing this info.
The biggest challenge was that the owner wanted a a lot of data surfaced at once, but too much information risked overwhelming the dashboard. The solution for this was that for more detailed and comprehensive information on a particular topic (eg: finances, traffic and orders) they could click on the menu icon and click on what they wish to view in more detail, with all key information still available in the dashboard as expected.
The other challenges came from what the design of the dashboard would be like. In regards to the design of the dashboard itself I really wanted to prioritise:
•Presenting essential KPIs at the top
•Quick access to refund/edit/receipts
•A buyer distribution map as they wish to see which countries is worth advertising further
•A goal progress visualisation for the team
•Filters for location and date range.
The biggest challenge was that the owner wanted a a lot of data surfaced at once, but too much information risked overwhelming the dashboard. The solution for this was that for more detailed and comprehensive information on a particular topic (eg: finances, traffic and orders) they could click on the menu icon and click on what they wish to view in more detail, with all key information still available in the dashboard as expected.
The other challenges came from what the design of the dashboard would be like. In regards to the design of the dashboard itself I really wanted to prioritise:
•Presenting essential KPIs at the top
•Quick access to refund/edit/receipts
•A buyer distribution map as they wish to see which countries is worth advertising further
•A goal progress visualisation for the team
•Filters for location and date range.
The biggest challenge was that the owner wanted a a lot of data surfaced at once, but too much information risked overwhelming the dashboard. The solution for this was that for more detailed and comprehensive information on a particular topic (eg: finances, traffic and orders) they could click on the menu icon and click on what they wish to view in more detail, with all key information still available in the dashboard as expected.
The other challenges came from what the design of the dashboard would be like. In regards to the design of the dashboard itself I really wanted to prioritise:
•Presenting essential KPIs at the top.
•Quick access to refund/edit/receipts.
•A buyer distribution map as they wish to see which countries is worth advertising further
•A Goal progress visualisation for the team.
•Filters for location and date range.
The Solution: Dashboard Design that met the requirements
The Solution: Dashboard Design that met the requirements
The dashboard was designed to meet the six requirements as mentioned earlier, therefore each feature created had each requirement in mind. Below listed are the features included.
• Key Metrics: Placed at the top for instant visibility. Includes total net sales with break even and goal targets, plus spaces left to manage ad spend and urgency.
• Buyer Distribution Map: A world map visualisation highlights customer locations (e.g: London 90%, USA 5%), which as mentioned earlier helps marketing teams decide where to focus advertising efforts.
• Latest Orders Table: Displays recent transactions with buyer info, ticket type (color coded), and quick action buttons for Edit, Refund, and Receipts. Designed for admins to resolve issues without switching systems.
• Weekly Sales Snapshot: Shows a summary like “3 live tickets and 2 remote tickets this week, this provides a short term trend overview without overwhelming the user. I also colour coded the tickets with the intention of an increase in recognition.
• Traffic & Filtering: You can also filter by ticket type, location, and custom date ranges. These will allow contextual comparisons, e.g., how US sales changed after a campaign.
These solutions all cover the 6 requirements listed by the owner, and as can be seen in the prototype below by clicking on the menu icon, as mentioned earlier further information in regards to traffic, finances and orders can be viewed there.
The dashboard was designed to meet the six requirements as mentioned earlier, therefore each feature created had each requirement in mind. Below listed are the features included.
• Key Metrics: Placed at the top for instant visibility. Includes total net sales with break-even and goal targets, plus spaces left to manage ad spend and urgency.
• Buyer Distribution Map: A world map visualisation highlights customer locations (e.g., London 90%, USA 5%), which as mentioned earlier helps marketing teams decide where to focus advertising efforts.
• Latest Orders Table: Displays recent transactions with buyer info, ticket type (color-coded), and quick action buttons for Edit, Refund, and Receipts. Designed for admins to resolve issues without switching systems.
• Weekly Sales Snapshot: Shows a summary like “3 live tickets and 2 remote tickets this week, this provides a short term trend overview without overwhelming the user. I also colour coded the tickets with the intention of an increase in recognition.
• Traffic & Filtering: You can also filter by ticket type, location, and custom date ranges. These will allow contextual comparisons, e.g., how US sales changed after a campaign.
These solutions all cover the 6 requirements listed by the owner, and as can be seen in the prototype below by clicking on the menu icon, as mentioned earlier further information in regards to traffic, finances and orders can be viewed there. Pop ups providing further info on where to go to for further info is also included as can also be seen in the prototype.
The dashboard was designed to answer the six key user priorities uncovered during research. Each feature is directly linked to a specific user need.
The dashboard was designed to directly address the six user priorities.
Key Metrics: Placed at the top for instant visibility. Includes Total Net Sales with break-even and goal targets, plus Spaces Left to manage ad spend and urgency.
Buyer Distribution Map: A world map visualisation highlights customer locations (e.g., London 90%, USA 5%), which as mentioned earlier helps marketing teams decide where to focus advertising efforts.
Latest Orders Table: Displays recent transactions with buyer info, ticket type (color-coded), and quick action buttons for Edit, Refund, and Receipts. Designed for admins to resolve issues without switching systems.
Weekly Sales Snapshot: Shows a summary like “3 live tickets and 2 remote tickets this week, this provides a short term trend overview without overwhelming the user. I also colour coded the tickets with the intention of an increase in recognition.
Traffic & Filtering: You can also filter by ticket type, location, and custom date ranges. These will allow contextual comparisons, e.g., how US sales changed after a campaign.
These solutions all cover the 6 user needs listed by the owner and as can be seen in the prototype below by clicking on the menu icon, as mentioned earlier further information in regards to traffic, finances and orders can be viewed there. Pop ups providing further info on where to go to for further info is also included as can also be seen in the prototype.
Content and Microcopy
My UX writing approach on this dashboard centred on that every word should reduce the cognitive load of this heavy data. Event organisers are time pressed users who need to make decisions quickly, so I wrote copy that contextualises and summarises rather than simply labels.
Yesterday or today over a D/M/Y: Because the orders table is a daily monitoring tool, not an archive. Event organisers checking this dashboard need to assess recency at a glance.
Visual hierarchy: Having "total net sales appear" larger than "break even" and "goal" showcases prioritisation of the most important information for those scanning the dashboard. The large pill providing an overviews of the orders for this week is another example of using visual hierarchy to make the most important information visible for those scanning.
Action icons: I deliberately left the action icons in the orders table unlabelled as the three actions (edit, undo, receipt) are clear enough that labels would add visual noise without adding clarity. In a tool used repeatedly by the same person, icon fluency develops quickly and copy would slow the experienced user down.
Tone: Those checking this dashboard are often doing so under pressure as ticket sales feel personal, and a shortfall feels like failure (empathising with users was a top priority). I made deliberate tonal choices to frame the financial data around progress rather than deficit. "Goal: £90,000+" makes the target as something to reach toward, not a verdict on current performance that could deflate them, hence why I also did not include how far or close they would be from breaking even (eg: 4.5% away).
The first step involved taking a look at the excel provided to me. The excel presented order dates, Buyers names; emails and locations, the ticket type (live or remote), how much they paid and whether there was an additional tax on the purchase. Using this information I was able to begin designing the dashboard with the intention of showcasing this info.
Not only was I able to design a dashboard that met all the requirements mentioned by the owner, but it was a design that really kept user experience at the forefront as keeping the KPIs on the dashboard reduces cognitive load and answers “Are we on track?” instantly, the interface does not feel cluttered, and whoever is on this dashboard can see all key information on the dashboard itself.
Not only was I able to design a dashboard that met all the requirements mentioned by the owner, but it was a design that really kept user experience at the forefront as keeping the KPIs on the dashboard reduces cognitive load and answers “Are we on track?” instantly, the interface does not feel cluttered, and whoever is on this dashboard can see all key information on the dashboard itself.
Not only was I able to design a dashboard that met all the requirements mentioned by the owner, but it was a design that really kept user experience at the forefront as keeping the KPIs on the dashboard reduces cognitive load and answers “Are we on track?” instantly, the interface does not feel cluttered, and whoever is on this dashboard can see all key information on the dashboard itself.
Future Enhancments
As this project could only be completed within 2 days, with additional time I think the enhancements would have involved
I could rewrite "900/916" as "16 spots still available" as it's more consistent to dashboard content but this also may be anxiety inducing
Offer a dark theme for users working long hours
Create a simplified mobile view so organisers can take a look on the go
Would love to create a detailed look on what the Finances, traffic and orders pages would look like
As this project could only be completed within 2 days, with additional time I think the enhancements would have involved
I could rewrite "900/916" as "16 spots still available" as it's more consistent to dashboard content but this also may be anxiety inducing
Offer a dark theme for users working long hours
Create a simplified mobile view so organisers can take a look on the go
Would love to create a detailed look on what the Finances, traffic and orders pages would look like
As this project could only be completed within 2 days, with additional time I think the enhancements would have involved
Furthermore notifications for key actions like “Only 50 tickets left” or “Refund processed successfully.
Offer a dark theme and ensure WCAG accessibility compliance for users working long hours
Create a simplified mobile view so organisers can take a look on the go
Would love to create a detailed look on what the Finances, traffic and orders pages would look like