Digital dashboards are dynamic Graphical User Interface (GUI) tools that can present data and metrics in real-time to decision-making users of information systems. Digital dashboards enable managers to view disparate data simultaneously. An example of a digital dashboard that might be utilized by an airport’s Operations Department personnel is a digital screen that simultaneously presents one or more live video feeds intermixed with spreadsheet or table data, charts, etc.
In this Module 3 activity, you will create a mockup of a hypothetical, customized digital dashboard that the airport’s Operations Department personnel could utilize for airport airside operations decision-making and aircraft and vehicle ramp position monitoring purposes. There are two purposes for engaging in this activity, the first being to conduct research on and explore the different types of digital dashboards that are presented in various vendors’ information systems solutions. The second purpose is to ‘take a break’ from the mundane composition-type of assignment activities and to engage in some creative ‘fun.’
You will utilize Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word to construct your mockup of a digital dashboard. You will be required to use your imagination and charting skillsets to organize a video feed and sets of analytical data into one viewable screen as you craft your digital dashboard deliverable.
- Construct the digital dashboard mockup using Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
- Open a new Microsoft Word® document.
- Select Layout / Orientation / Landscape on the Microsoft Word toolbar.
- Present three (3) data sets on one (1) 8.5 x 11 page.
- Select Columns / One in the dropdown list on the Microsoft Word toolbar.
- Strive to fill all the “white space” on the single-page landscape-oriented document as much as possible so that your dashboard will appear like a real-world dashboard. Review examples at:https://www.google.com/search?q=airport+dashboards&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS787US787&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnkrHRnav4AhVtIUQIHWLjBHQQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1920&bih=929&dpr=1Links to an external site.
- For data set #1, embed a hypothetical “live” video feed (for the purposes of this assignment, you will use a static image) of an airport security area in the top half of the document page.
- Search the Internet and find a JPEG image of an aircraft on an airport tarmac or at a gate.
- Copy and paste the image on the top half of the Microsoft Word document.
- Title the image as Airport South Terminal Tarmac.
- Crop/resize the image and “stretch” the image diagonally by pulling on a corner edit symbol to fill all the white space on the top half of the document page as much as possible. You may have to repeat this process several times to fit the image properly without substantially distorting the image.
- For data set #2, embed a Microsoft Excel worksheet on a bottom quarter of the document page.
- Create the worksheet as follows:
- Title the worksheet as Airport Gate Assignments
- Create the data in a size 12 font.
- Center-justify the data in all cells.
- Select All Borders for all cells.
- Row 1: Merge cells A1, B1, and C1 and input the worksheet title.
- Row 2: Label Columns 1, 2, and 3 as follows: Gate Number; Flight Number, Aircraft Number.
- Rows 3 through 8: List data in the columns for six (6) different gate numbers, six (6) different flight numbers, and six (6) different aircraft side numbers.
- Stretch the spreadsheet data diagonally by pulling on a corner edit symbol to fill all the white space on one bottom quarter of the document page as much as possible. You may not be able to fill all the white space in one dimension.
- Create the worksheet as follows:
- For data set #3, embed a Column chart on the other bottom quarter of the document page.
- Open a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
- Enter “Hour” in Column A, Row 1.
- Format the cells in Column A, Rows 2-14 by selecting Custom in the dropdown list and setting “0000” as the Custom value.
- Input “0600” – “1800” in the cells in Column A, Rows 2-14.
- Enter “Projected Aircraft Arrivals Per Hour” in Column B, Row 1.
- Format the cells in Column B, Rows 2-14 by selecting Number with no decimal places in the dropdown list.
- Input random single-digit whole numbers ranging from“1” to “10” in Column B, Rows 2-14.
- Highlight the cells in Columns A and B, Rows 1-14.
- Open a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
- Select a Column chart type from the Chart selection area in the Insert tab on the Microsoft Word toolbar.
- Replace the default Excel data (that opens up in addition to the chart) with the previously-highlighted Excel data by pasting the highlighted data over the default data.
- Select the Plus (+) icon that pops up at the right side of the chart when you select (left-click) the chart.
- Select Axes.
- Select Axis Titles.
- Label the X-Axis as Hour.
- Label the Y-Axis as Aircraft Arrivals..
- Select Data Labels.
- Deselect Legend
- Left-click anywhere outside of the chart to finish the chart.
- Right-click on the top-left corner of the chart, select Copy, and then right-click on the Microsoft Word document and select Paste to paste the chart data in the remaining bottom quarter.
- Stretch the column chart data diagonally by pulling on a corner edit symbol to fill all the white space on one bottom quarter of the document page as much as possible. You may not be able to fill all the white space in one dimension.
- Select the Plus (+) icon that pops up at the right side of the chart when you select (left-click) the chart.