Dashboards and Dashboardes
by Ezra- Published:April 1st, 2008
- Comments:No Comment
- Category:Information Architecture
The definition of the word dashboard has changed markedly in our brief immediate past. In the 1800’s if you referred to a dashboard, apparently you were talking about a running board across the front of your horse drawn cart where you could wipe the muck from your shoes. In the 1980’s, if you were talking about a dashboard it was probably to do with your Chevy Impala’s instrument panel. And now in 2008 if you are talking about your dashboard, it is likely that you are referring to a set of widgets or iframes that make up your desktop or web administration panel.
In homage to the dashboard of the 1980’s, theres a lot we can learn from the dashboard design of that era that can be transferred across to the modern era.
A standard dashboard of 2008 - from an IA perspective is this as functional and beautiful as it could be?
A couple of classic dashes from the past
A couple of modern day equivalents
And last but not least looking at a vintage car dash that in my mind corresponds on a similar level to the way that a current dashboard is dealt with in many ways. It is mainly based around function with little detail dedicated to form.
NB - All images are linked from Flickr and are released under CC
I'm an Information Architect working in Wellington New Zealand who deals a lot with web standards, conventions and best practice every day. This is the place where I place findings, musings and facts as a repository for myself and anyone else who might benefit. 
