The Big Book of Dashboards
Visualizing Your Data
Using Real-World
Business Scenarios
Cover image: Course Metrics Dashboard by Jeffrey Shaffer
Cover design: Wiley
Copyright © 2017 by Steve Wexler, Jeffrey Shaffer, and Andy Cotgreave. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Acknowledgments
From the three of us
Stephen Few, whose books have made a profound and lasting impression on us.
Alberto Cairo for his invaluable feedback and for his leadership in the data visualization community.
Our technical reviewers greatly improved our first drafts. Thanks to Troy Magennis, Andy Kirk, Jon Schwabish, Ariel Pohoryles, Trudy Weiss Craig, Michael Fry, and a special thanks to Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic for introducing us to the Wiley team and who went far beyond our expectations with her detailed edits and comments.
All the contributors to this book gave significant time to tweak their dashboards according to our requests. We thank you for allowing us to include your work in the book.
Thanks, also, to Mark Boone, KK Molugu, Eric Duell, Chris DeMartini, and Bob Filbin for their efforts.
Our stellar team at Wiley: acquisitions editor Bill Falloon for fighting so hard on our behalf; editor Christina Verigan for her deft reworking and invaluable help optimizing flow; senior production editor Samantha Hartley for overseeing the daunting process of making this book a beautiful, tangible thing; copy editor Debra Manette for such detailed editing and insights; proofreader Hope Breeman for her meticulous proof check; the team at WordCo for a comprehensive index and marketing manager Heather Dunphy for her exceptional expertise in connecting author with audience.
From Steve
My wife, Laura, and my daughters, Janine and Diana, for the never-ending support and love.
Ira Handler and Brad Epstein, whose friendship, encouragement, and example have been a godsend for the past dozen years.
Joe Mako, who has always been willing to help me with “the difficult stuff” and provided much needed encouragement when I was starting out.
The Princeton University Triangle Club, where I learned how to bring talented people together to make wonderful things. Without my experiences there I don't know if I would have had the insight and ability to recruit my fellow authors.
Jeff and Andy, who not only made the book way better than it would have been had I tackled it on my own, but for providing me with one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of my career. Your abilities, candor, humor, grit, patience, impatience, thoughtfulness, and leadership made for a remarkable ride.
From Andy
I would like to thank Steve and Jeff for approaching me to join this project. I'd been procrastinating on writing a book for many years, and the opportunity to work with two passionate, skilled leaders was the trigger I needed to get going. I would like to thank them both for many hours of constructive debate (argument?) over the rights and wrongs of all aspects of dashboards and data visualization. It has been an enriching experience.
Finally, to Liz, my wife, and my daughters, Beatrice and Lucy. Thank you for your support and the freedom to abandon you all on weekends, mornings, and evenings in order to compete this project. I could not have done it without you.
From Jeff
Thank you, Steve and Andy. It was a pleasure working with you guys. I will miss the collaboration, especially our many hours of discussion about data visualization and dashboard design.
A special thank you to Mary, my wife, and to Nina and Elle, my twin daughters, for sacrificing lots of family time over many long nights and weekends. I would not have been able to complete this project without your support.
About the Authors
Steve Wexler has worked with ADP, Gallup, Deloitte, Convergys, Consumer Reports, The Economist, ConEd, D&B, Marist, Tradeweb, Tiffany, McKinsey & Company, and many other organizations to help them understand and visualize their data. Steve is a Tableau Zen Master, Iron Viz Champion, and Tableau Training Partner.
His presentations and training
