The Direct Label Rule
hidden data = invisible insights (hovering is friction)
Most dashboards hide numbers in tooltips. Users have to hunt. They don't.
Critical info stays buried.
Decision delayed.
A tiny story
A marketing director showed me her campaign dashboard. Beautiful charts. Zero labels.
I asked: "What's the conversion rate?"
She hovered. Waited. Squinted. "Uh... 3.2%."
That's two seconds wasted. Multiply by 50 views daily.
The real issue
Tooltips create work. Hover. Wait. Read. Remember. Repeat.
Mobile users can't even hover.
Desktop users won't bother.
Info never lands.
What you need now
Label directly on charts. Number on bar. Percentage on slice. Value on line.
Use callouts for key metrics. Box it. Highlight it. Make it permanent.
Show top 3 values always. Let tooltips handle the rest.
Remove hover dependency. Assume users won't interact.
Make insights visible at first glance. No clicks. No hovers.
Direct labels = instant comprehension.
Two spicy takes
Hot take 1: If your insight needs a hover, it's not actually visible.
Hot take 2: Tooltips are where insights go to die.
3 actions this week
Add direct labels to your top 5 data points.
Remove tooltip dependency for critical metrics.
Test your dashboard without touching your mouse.
Instant accessibility.
Closing
When you eliminate friction, you accelerate decisions.
If you want help, reply to this mail or fill this form.
