Nova Dashboard
A comprehensive analytics dashboard for SaaS products with real-time data visualization.
Overview
Nova is an analytics dashboard built for SaaS teams who need real-time visibility into product metrics. The goal was to create a dense but readable interface that surfaces insights without requiring data expertise.
The Challenge
The existing dashboard was a collection of charts with no hierarchy. Users couldn't tell at a glance whether things were going well or needed attention. Power users wanted customization; new users wanted guidance.
Design Process
Information architecture
I started by mapping every metric the platform tracked (47 total) and running a card sort with 12 users. This revealed five natural groupings:
- Growth (users, signups, activation)
- Engagement (DAU, session length, feature usage)
- Revenue (MRR, churn, LTV)
- Performance (load times, errors, uptime)
- Support (tickets, response time, CSAT)
Widget system
Rather than fixed layouts, I designed a widget-based system. Each metric is a self-contained card that can be resized, rearranged, and configured. Three widget sizes: compact (single number), standard (number + sparkline), and expanded (full chart).
Visual language
- Green/red indicators only for metrics with clear good/bad directionality
- Sparklines for trend context without full chart overhead
- Anomaly highlighting — automated detection flags unusual changes with a subtle pulse
Technical Implementation
Built with React, Recharts, and a custom drag-and-drop grid system. WebSocket connections for real-time updates. Dashboard state persisted per-user in localStorage with server sync.
Impact
- Dashboard load time reduced from 4.2s to 1.1s
- User-reported "time to insight" dropped by 60%
- Widget customization adoption: 83% of users within first week