visually effective excel dashboards


Make Well-Designed Excel Dashboards That Inform & Impress

Creating Excel Dashboards from scratch is not easy.

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about how and where to start?

Do you feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the process, leaving you regretting every time you open the file? Unfortunately that’s a common scenario if you use the wrong techniques.

This Excel Dashboard Creation course helps you streamline your dashboard creation process. You’ll learn simple steps to go from idea to delivery. You’ll create Excel Dashboards you’ll be happy to come back to.

20 years of experience in Excel and still a lot of stuff to learn in a progressive structure. With a pleasant and engaging instructor.

Philippe Bastid, Finance Manager

What You’ll Learn

In this course, you’ll master the art of creating well-designed Excel dashboards. As a result, both you and your colleagues will be empowered to spot trends and make swift, data-informed decisions. Furthermore, the course covers:

  • How to add interactivity to your Excel reports – No VBA required
  • Clever use of Excel core functionality for responsive spreadsheets
  • Use powerful visual techniques so your content has more effect
  • Impress management with reports that make the decision-making process faster
  • Create impressive, non-standard Excel charts using smart techniques
  • Learn how to create a professional KPI dashboard from scratch
  • Build Pivot Table-based dashboards for easy interactivity

This Excel Dashboard Creation course comes with templates, tools and checklists that can be applied directly to your Excel reports.

This course was recently updated to include the Office 365 & 2021 version of the KPI dashboard. You can download the alternative dashboard if you have Office 365. You’ll learn how you can use FILTER, SEQUENCE, XLOOKUP and other newer Excel functions to create the dashboard

Watch the Video for a Quick Overview of the Course

“But Leila, Why Learn Creating Dashboards from You?”

What differentiates this course from the other Excel Dashboard courses:

  • The entire process from idea to delivery – every single step without skipping key points.
  • Tried-and-trusted techniques that are not only applicable to Excel dashboards but any Excel report.
  • Includes Excel templates, tools and checklists that you can use for your own Excel reports.
  • Relevant and up-to-date with industry needs right now, as it’s based on feedback and suggestions from finance professionals.
  • Lots of ideas and inspiration to help you come up with own report design.
  • Complex topics are taught in a simple way by an instructor with 17 years of experience.

How is this Excel Dashboard Creation course structured?

The course is designed to have an even balance between talking head explanations and screencasts.

The course content is meticulously organized, allowing more advanced learners the flexibility to seamlessly jump in at any point. Additionally, each section is accompanied by the relevant project file for easy follow-along.

You learn how to create this interactive KPI dashboard from scratch:

Example from Excel Dashboard Creation Course
Interactive KPI Dashboard

Here’s The Thing:

You don’t just learn how to create this dashboard, but you end up learning:

  1. The process you should follow for a successful Excel dashboard Project.
  2. Advanced formulas that will come in handy if you ever do complex analysis in Excel.
  3. Smart use of Excel’s core functionality to get impressive results.
  4. Form controls without VBA to add impressive interactivity to your report.

You’ll also learn how to create a Pivot Table-based-Dashboard, that uses Pivot Charts & Slicers like this one:

Example from Excel Dashboard Creation Course

As you progress through the course, you’ll also discover a variety of neat Excel tricks. For instance:

  • How to VLOOKUP on pictures
  • How Excel’s camera tool can add a unique and professional flair to your reports
  • How to create charts that are conditionally formatted
  • And impressive charts based on Pivot Tables

Many thanks to Leila for this very comprehensive course, for her diamond clear explications and for the very high level of all the topics that I’d define almost esoteric … my best ROI ever!

Renato Vianello, Freelancer

🎁 Bonus eBook To Follow Along

You’ll find that the course alone is A+

But we want to make your learning experience even more enjoyable with our step-by-step eBook.

This handy guide covers every single step we take to create each dashboard, to make sure you never miss a beat. Having the eBook as your companion ensures that following along and mastering each concept in Excel becomes effortless, thereby making your learning journey both enjoyable and rewarding!

I am completely in love with this course. Leila is awesome, explains very well and it is very easy to understand her explanations. The examples we see during the classes are so enlightening and applicable to the “real world”. Fantastic course!!!

Rosana Santos

Here’s Your Curriculum

You can view the detailed curriculum below. Click on “See a full outline” at the bottom to expand the curriculum.

See anything that jumps out? Which lesson do you think you’d begin with?

Excel dashboards course cover

Visually Effective Excel Dashboards

Actionable Excel tips (templates & workbooks included) you can use right now to create eye-catching Excel dashboards.

This course includes:

Over 11 hours of video content

Downloadable Workbooks and Templates

Build 2 Fully Functioning Excel Dashboards from scratch

Exercises & Quizzes to test your skills

LIFETIME Access so you never feel rushed

Comment sections to ask questions and get answers from our friendly teaching assistants

CPD Accredited Certificate of Completion

English Closed Captions

Bonus Course eBook to easily follow along

Section 1: A Foundation in Dashboards

Introduction to Excel Dashboard Course
Preview
Get the Most from the Course 
Download Course Files Here (Excel Dashboards & Practice Files)
A Dashboard Primer 
New Excel Dashboard Project? This is Your Checklist 

Section 2:

First Steps for your Excel Dashboard Project 
Create a Mockup (Wireframe) in Excel 
Useful Excel Keyboard Shortcuts 
4 Time-Saving Tips for Excel 
Proper Spreadsheet Architecture & Workflow 

Section 3: Report Design Principles

Layout – Best Practice for Excel Dashboard Design
Preview
Color – Best Practice for Excel Dashboard Design
A Color Scheme that fits with your Excel Report 
10 Concrete Design Tips for Better Excel Reports 
Bonus: Setting a Default Theme for New Workbooks in Excel
Quiz: Excel Report Design – Test Your Knowledge 

Section 4: Dashboard Source Data & Formats

Where is Your Source Data? 
Source: Excel Spreadsheet 
Source: Microsoft Access 
Source: Text / Data / CSV File 
Source: Excel Add-ins 

Section 5: Excel Dashboard Formula Toolbox

Excel Formulas You’ll Need for Impressive Dashboards
Index Match for Complex Lookups – Basics 
Preview
Index Match for Complex Lookups – Advanced 
Index for Dynamic Drop-down List Selection 
Realistic Case: Index for Dependent Drop-down Lists in Excel
SUMIFS, COUNTIFS, AVERAGEIFS to Handle Multiple Criteria 
LARGE and SMALL for Sorting Excel Data
ROW(S), COLUMN(S) for Indexing 
ROW as Unique Identifier for Lookups 
CHOOSE for Flexibility 
Excel Text Function for Formatting
Excel N Function for Tracking 
GetPivotData: Extract data Efficiently from Pivot Tables 
INDIRECT for Flexible References in Excel
Choose & Excel Name Manager for Flexible Ranges (Alternative to Indirect) 

Section 6: Form Controls for Interactive Excel Dashboards

Introduction to Form Controls – Active X vs. Form Controls
Combo Box – Select From a Drop Down List in Excel
Preview
Check Box – Check / Uncheck Option in Excel
Spin Button – Move Up & Down Lists in Excel
Option Button – Choose One Option Only 
List Box – Select From a List of Options in Excel
Scroll Bar – Scroll Through Excel Graphs & Tables 
Bonus: Dependent Combo Boxes (2nd list automatically resets)

Section 7: Advanced Excel Chart Techniques

Chart Overview & When to Use Which Graph
Excel Chart Basics (for those who need to get familiar with basic features)
Add Total Values to Stacked Excel Column Charts 
Better Charts: Add Dynamic Series Labels Inside Excel Charts 
Excel Chart Secret: Error Bars for Additional Control 
Pro Excel Chart Technique: Changing Chart Ranges 
Info-graphics in Excel: Non-standard but Impressive Bar Chart
Dynamic Excel Map Chart with Drop-down

Section 8 – 13: *** KPI Excel Dashboard – Start HERE ***

How You Can Follow Along & Download Documentation
Preview
Excel KPI Dashboard Overview
Bonus: If You Have Office 2021 or Microsoft 365

Section 8: KPI Excel Dashboard Setup

Excel KPI Dashboard Overview 
Dashboard Wireframe in Excel
Spreadsheet Setup 
Setup of Raw Data Sheet 
Setup of Excel Calculation Sheet 

Section 9: KPI Dashboard – Scrolling Table & Bars

Setup a Combo Box to Ease Selection 
Complex Lookup with Index & Match in Excel
Scrolling Data Table in Excel
Conditionally-Formatted Data Bars 
Arrows for Deviations in Excel
Formatting of Scrolling Data Table 

Section 10: KPI Dashboard – Dynamic Headers

Conditional Comments in Header 
Adding Shapes & Text boxes in Excel

Section 11: KPI Dashboard – Top/Bottom KPI Based on Selection

Show Top 6 Matches with Unique Identifier 
List Box to Select KPI for Top 6 Matches 
Option Button to Toggle Between Top OR Bottom 6 
Actual to Budget Comparison – Sorted Bars with Error Bar Technique 
Finalize Top / Bottom Report on Dashboard 

Section 12: KPI Dashboard – Scrolling Line Chart with Check Boxes

Complex Excel Lookup to Prepare data for Scrolling Chart 
Scroll-able Line Chart 
Trick to Avoid Crashing Lines in an Excel Line Chart 
Check Box to Control Series Visibility in Excel (Hide or Show) 
Excel Line Series Tweaks for Better Readability 
Finalize Profit Comparison Section on Dashboard

Section 13: KPI Dashboard – Final Touches

Restrict Excel Dashboard Area and Format for Printing
Excel Dashboard Protection, Hyperlinks and Final Touches
Download Excel Dashboard Final Version

Section 14: *** Regional (Pivot / Slicer) Dashboard ***

More Interactivity – Pivot Slicers as Buttons (also without Pivot Tables) 
Column Chart Controlled by Pivot Slicer Buttons 
Pivot Slicer Custom Sorting & Design 
Check to Ensure Single Pivot Slicer Button is Selected 
Dynamic Excel Comments with Pivot Slicer Selection 

Section 15: Regional Dashboard – Advanced Excel Pivot Table Techniques

Variances in Excel Pivot Tables
Conditional Formatting in Excel Pivot Tables
Pivot Table as Part of Excel Dashboard Report 
Pivot Charts in Excel Dashboards 
Automatically Refresh Pivot Table with Simple VBA code 

Section 16: Regional Dashboard – Impressive Charts Using Shapes

Info Charts: Adding Shapes to (Pivot) Charts 
Info Charts: Overcoming Pivot Chart Limitations in Excel

Section 17: Dashboard Secrets for Impressive Excel Reports

Excel Camera for Improved Design 
Preview
Advanced Excel Camera – Lookups on Pictures 
Dashboard Complete – Final Touches
Download the final version of the Slicer/Regional Dashboard

Section 18: What You Learnt

Final Words
** Next Steps – BONUS
Definitely five stars! I’m half way through and it is so easy to follow that I am able to apply it immediately to my own dashboards. Fantastic course!

Click the Big Blue Button To Get Started

Create Eye-catching Excel Dashboards

I’m Leila.
Nice to meet you.

Each month, I hop on a special video call with the Microsoft team. This is one of the perks of being a Microsoft MVP. They fill us in on all the latest features coming down the pipeline.

My courses & tutorials are for ambitious beginners and professionals who want to upgrade their data analysis skills. If you hate doing things manually, you’ll love my approach.

I don’t just want to show you solutions to specific problems, but to teach you to find solutions to ALL your future data analysis problems.

I founded my online learning company, XelPlus, in 2015. Our aim is to help you gain the knowledge you need so you can create useful tools, solve problems and get more done.

Let’s get started!

Who Is Right For This Course

You’re in the right place if …

  • You’re a Business Professional who uses Excel to create dashboards and reports.
  • You currently use Excel and want to improve your skills.
  • You’d like to learn how to create interactive reports in Excel.
  • You’d like to improve the design of your existing Excel reports.

Who’s Not Right For This Course

You’re in the wrong place if …

  • You don’t use Excel often.
  • You consider yourself a very basic Excel user (The course requires solid knowledge in formulas like IF and features like absolute and relative referencing). If you aren’t familiar with these, please check out my Excel Essentials Course.
  • You don’t have Excel for PC (Windows) – The course is taught for Excel on Windows. Please note, for Mac users, our support capabilities are limited, which might affect assistance in case you encounter difficulties.

🆕 Earn CPD Credits

I’m excited to announce this Excel Dashboard Creation course is now CPD certified. The Continuing Professional Development is a top global accreditation, trusted by companies and industries worldwide.

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be awarded a special certificate, proudly featuring the official CPD stamp, as a recognition of your achievement.

You will earn 11 CPD hours with the course.

If CPD credits can help in your career, this is not a course to skip.

XelPlus CPD Provider No 22369

📃 Get a Certificate of Completion

Upon finishing the Excel Dashboard Creation course, you will receive a certificate of completion, marking your accomplishment in this specialized area.

You can send it to your boss, upload to LinkedIn, or just add it to your own person library of learning achievements.

Certificate of Completion Excel Dashboards Course at XelPlus
CPD Accredited Course Certificate from XelPlus

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start and finish?

You’ll take this Excel Dashboard Creation course in your own time. It is a completely self-paced online course – so you decide when you start and when you finish.

How long do I have access to the course?

How does lifetime access sound? Once enrolled, you gain unlimited access to this course, allowing you to learn at your own pace on any device you own, be it now or in the future.

What if I am unhappy with the course?

We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us at info@xelplus.com in the first 14 days and we will give you a full refund.

What if I have questions about the lessons? Can I get those answered?

Yes! Most online courses leave you on your own, but not here at XelPlus.

We have a team of helpful teaching assistants (TA’s) ready to answer your questions about each lesson. Below each lesson, you’ll find a comment section where you can ask a question about the topic. Our TA’s will chime in and do their best to help you.

Who can I contact if I have questions not addressed?

You can contact us at info@xelplus.com.


Save with a Bundle!

You’d like to improve in more than one aspect? Pick our Excel Black Belt Package.

This Dashboards course is a part of our Black Belt Package. Learn anytime that suits your schedule.

Excel dashboards course cover

Visually Effective Excel Dashboards

$99.00

Actionable Excel tips (templates & workbooks included) you can use right now to create eye-catching Excel dashboards.

Excel Black Belt course cover

Black Belt Excel Package

$679
$1,131
Save $452 with a bundle!

Our Black Belt Package is your gateway to becoming an Excel Grand Master. With this package you get exclusive access to courses not available as stand-alone. Our step-by-step guidance makes learning easy, so you can say goodbye to confusion and frustration and hello to mastery.

Courses included

This means you get

  • Over 100 hours of video content (CPD Credits)
  • Certificate of Completion for individual courses
  • 600+ Workbooks and Templates
  • 200+ Challenges & Quizzes to test your skills
  • LIFETIME Access so you never feel rushed
  • Comment sections to ask questions and get answers from our friendly teaching assistants