🧠Concept: Dashboards

Use Cases: When to Use Each Dashboard Chart

Why This Matters

Dashboards give you multiple ways to visualize your work. The key is choosing the right chart type for the question you’re trying to answer. Use this guide to understand the mental model behind each chart.

Number Chart → Quick snapshots

Use when:

• You need a single, high-level metric.

• You want to track progress against a goal.

• You need at-a-glance visibility in a meeting.

Examples:

• “Hours spent on project work this week”

• “Number of overdue tasks”

• “Completed projects this quarter”

Bar Chart → Comparisons

Use when:

• You want to compare categories side by side.

• You’re looking for imbalances or bottlenecks.

• You need to segment tasks/projects across teams, assignees, or stages.

Examples:

• “Tasks by assignee”

• “Projects by stage”

• “Hours logged per workspace”

Pie Chart → Proportions

Use when:

• You need to show how work is distributed.

• You want to highlight balance vs. imbalance across categories.

• Percentages matter more than raw counts.

Examples:

• “Task status distribution (Todo vs. In Progress vs. Completed)”

• “Breakdown of tasks by priority”

• “Projects by workspace”

Line Chart → Trends over time

Use when:

• You want to track progress or velocity.

• You’re monitoring workloads, deadlines, or completion rates across weeks or months.

• You’re looking for spikes, dips, or long-term trends.

Examples:

• “Tasks started per week (last 90 days)”

• “Hours logged per month”

• “Project completions per quarter”

Putting It Together

• Number charts → best for one key metric.

• Bar charts → best for comparisons.

• Pie charts → best for proportions.

• Line charts → best for trends.

Think of them like different lenses: pick the one that best answers your question.