THIS IS PART OF A SERIES OF ‘TIPS AND TRICKS’ BLOG POSTS FOR GIS PROFESSIONALS. TOPICS TO BE COVERED INCLUDE ARCGIS ONLINE, ARCGIS DESKTOP, ARCMAP, AS WELL AS STATIC MAPS.

ArcGIS Dashboards allow users to interact with and visualize data in maps, charts, lists, and other graphics at the same time. Users are able to get a snapshot of data quickly, see patterns, and make decisions. A few examples:

Creating an ArcGIS Dashboard in ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Dashboards are a type of web application accessed through an internet browser using Esri’s ArcGIS Online software. To create a dashboard, you must have an ArcGIS Online account. For information on creating an ArcGIS Online account and ArcGIS Online tips/tricks, read my earlier blog post. To create a dashboard in ArcGIS Online:

  1. Create an empty dashboard. Next to your username in the upper right corner of ArcGIS Online, click Apps > Dashboards > Create Dashboard. Then, add maps and/or elements.
  2. Share your web map. With a saved map open in the Map Viewer, click Share and select the ArcGIS Dashboards tab. Then, add additional maps and/or elements.

ArcGIS Dashboards Tips and Tricks

More guidance from Esri available here; additional helpful links can be found here.

  • Less is more. The goal is to keep people focused and engaged. Avoid overloading users with different visuals of the same data. Keep in mind what will be of utmost importance.
  • Open two tabs in the browser while updating. One tab for editing and one tab for viewing makes editing your application easier. Once a change is made and saved in the Editing tab, the Viewing tab can be refreshed to ensure the change is behaving as expected.
  • Add custom icons to any indicator element by using a SVG, a type of vector image. To add a custom icon to the indicator element, go to the Indicator options > select Left or Right > Custom > Paste the SVG code.
  • Use HTML to customize text appearance in Indicator, List, and Detail elements.
  • Add search ability. Set up a search in the Settings tab on the Item Details page of the map that feeds your application. Under Application Settings, select By Address for users to search by address and select By Layer for users to search for features in the data.