If you’ve been following me, you know how much I work on refining the methodology I call the Data Design Process.
It helps organizations approach dashboards and reports with a product mindset, grounded in real user needs rather than assumptions.
Over the years, I’ve observed recurring patterns. Not necessarily the most dramatic mistakes, but the ones I see most often.
- Small deviations.
- Subtle shortcuts.
- Structural blind spots.
And they derail projects long before a single chart is created.
Discovery is where value is defined.
When it’s ignored, rushed, superficial, or politically constrained, the outcome is predictable:
- Low adoption
- Endless rework
- Growing business frustration
- Eroding authority for the data team
- Polished dashboards with no measurable impact
You may not see it happening, but these 12 mistakes quietly destroy analytics initiatives long before design even starts.
This is part 1 of a 4-part series.
Next week, we’ll focus on the Define step.
If you suspect your team is building without a clear operating framework, let’s run a structured methodology audit.
Begin your Analytics framework audit
Have a great week everyone!
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