← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10

Laying out a dashboard sheet

Arranging charts, slicers and key figures on one sheet, neatly aligned and sized, with gridlines hidden, so the main message is easy to see at a glance.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10 — Analysing and Visualising Data — Module 70

Understanding Laying out a dashboard sheet in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 9–10

What it does: Linking a big key figure cell to a formula means the dashboard number is always up to date instead of typed in by hand. The Move Chart command places each chart on the Dashboard sheet so all charts, slicers and key figures sit together. Turning off Gridlines under the View tab removes the faint cell lines, so the charts and key figures stand out on a clean background. Align tools place objects exactly in line. Dragging by eye usually leaves small gaps that make a dashboard look messy. Distribute Horizontally spaces the selected objects evenly from left to right. Number formatting only changes how values look in cells.

Common mistakes: A key figure cell must start with = to be a formula. Without it the cell shows plain text. It should be B3: =AVERAGE(Sales!C2:C50). Charts sitting side by side in a row need their top edges aligned. Align Left lines up the left edges, which stacks them on top of each other. It should be Align > Align Top.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 413–424) and word search (Modules 413–451).

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Learning
Duo
Which setting hides the grid lines so a dashboard sheet looks clean?
View > Gridlines (untick)Insert > Table (tick)
Matches
Dashboard key figure typed as: 48250
↓
The key figure is a typed number, so it will not update when the data changes. It should be a formula such as =SUM(Sales!C2:C100).
Applying
Meanings
Term
Dashboard layout
Meaning
Arranging charts, slicers and key figures on one sheet, neatly aligned and sized, with gridlines hidden, so the main message is easy to see at a glance.
Practice
=ROUND(AVERAGE(B2:B9),1)
Testing
Gaps
=(Sales!D2:D50)
Check Answer
Spots
2B2: =SUM(Sales!C2:C50)
3B3: AVERAGE(Sales!C2:C50)

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Quick Questions

1. Which setting hides the grid lines so a dashboard sheet looks clean?
A. View > Gridlines (untick) ✓
B. Insert > Table (tick)
Turning off Gridlines under the View tab removes the faint cell lines, so the charts and key figures stand out on a clean background.
2. Three charts on your dashboard sit at slightly different heights. What is the best fix?
A. Select them and use Align > Align Top ✓
B. Drag each one by eye until it looks close
Align tools place objects exactly in line. Dragging by eye usually leaves small gaps that make a dashboard look messy.
3. You want equal gaps between four charts in a row. Which tool do you use?
A. Format > Number > Currency
B. Align > Distribute Horizontally ✓
Distribute Horizontally spaces the selected objects evenly from left to right. Number formatting only changes how values look in cells.
4. A key figure cell on a dashboard shows total sales. How should it get its value?
A. Type 48250 into the cell
B. =SUM(Data!C2:C200) ✓
A formula linked to the data updates when the data changes. A typed number goes out of date and the dashboard can show the wrong total.
5. Which is the best way to keep a chart on the Dashboard sheet instead of the data sheet?
A. Right-click the chart > Move Chart > Object in: Dashboard ✓
B. Delete the chart and hope it redraws on the new sheet
Move Chart lets you send the chart to the Dashboard sheet and it stays linked to its data. Deleting it would lose your work.

Match the Pairs

View > Gridlines (untick) → Hides the grey cell gridlines so the dashboard sheet looks clean and uncluttered
Align > Distribute Horizontally → Spaces the selected charts evenly across the sheet so the gaps between them are equal
A key figure cell shows a live total that updates when the data changes → =SUM(Sales!C2:C100)
Charts are moved onto one Dashboard sheet so everything can be seen together → Move Chart > Object in: Dashboard
Dashboard key figure typed as: 48250 → The key figure is a typed number, so it will not update when the data changes. It should be a formula such as =SUM(Sales!C2:C100).
Charts left at random sizes, gridlines still on → The charts are different sizes and not aligned, and the gridlines clutter the view. Resize them to match, use Align and Distribute, and untick View > Gridlines.

Key Term

Dashboard layout
Arranging charts, slicers and key figures on one sheet, neatly aligned and sized, with gridlines hidden, so the main message is easy to see at a glance.

Fill in the Blanks

1. =SUM(Sales!D2:D50)
Hint: Type the function that adds up a range, to link a total key figure cell to the data sheet.
2. View > Show > Gridlines (untick)
Hint: Type the name of the sheet feature that is hidden to give a dashboard a clean background.
3. Move Chart > Object in: Dashboard
Hint: Type the name of the sheet where the finished charts are gathered together.
4. Align > Distribute Horizontally
Hint: Type the direction that spaces charts evenly when they sit side by side across the sheet.
5. =MAX(Sales!D2:D50)
Hint: Type the function that finds the largest value, so a key figure cell shows the best result.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Sheet: Dashboard
B B2: =SUM(Sales!C2:C50)
C B3: AVERAGE(Sales!C2:C50)
D View > Gridlines: off
Line C — A key figure cell must start with = to be a formula. Without it the cell shows plain text. It should be B3: =AVERAGE(Sales!C2:C50).
Question 2
A Select the three charts
B Align > Align Left
C Distribute Horizontally
Line B — Charts sitting side by side in a row need their top edges aligned. Align Left lines up the left edges, which stacks them on top of each other. It should be Align > Align Top.
Question 3
A Sheet: Dashboard
B B2: =SUM(Sales!D2:D50)
C B3: 4850
Line C — A typed number is hard-coded and will not change when the data changes. A key figure should be linked with a formula such as B3: =MAX(Sales!D2:D50).
Question 4
A Click the Sales chart
B Cut it with Ctrl+X
C Click the Dashboard sheet tab
D Paste it with Ctrl+Z
Line D — Ctrl+Z is Undo, so the chart would not move to the Dashboard sheet. Paste is Ctrl+V.
Question 5
A View > Gridlines: on
B Select the three charts
C Align > Align Top
Line A — A neat dashboard hides the gridlines so they do not clutter the charts. Gridlines should be turned off in View.

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