A Review of Ontario’s COVID-19 Dashboard

Even though the COVID-19 dashboard of Ontario offers useful data, it can be confusing to navigate. As some of us may know, data is meaningless if the average viewer cannot understand what it is trying to say. What makes it even more difficult for users is that there was a focus on an overview and main indexes instead of actionable information.

This needs to be addressed since this can be a matter of life and death. People need to digest information in such a way that they can adjust their lives around it. This is where design comes in.

The pandemic is exponential in nature, which means that the number of infected people can multiply at any given moment. People need to understand this above everything else. By using socio-behavioral factors, we can create user profiles that everyone can identify with.

They can be divided into recovered, infected, and susceptible. Recovered means those who have since recovered from the illness and now have temporary immunity. Infected are people currently afflicted and contagious. Susceptible refers to those who are prone to getting the disease.

Aside from that, the dashboard should not be too cluttered. This is overwhelming to the average reader. It would have been better to separate information based on certain interests. They can be further delineated with the use of visual cues and themes, from font type to colors to icons.

A good design can help save lives. Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it can deliver critical information in a way that people can understand.