Like you’re saying, it really comes down to what data has to be displayed and what you’re trying to achieve with this dashboard. I think that would be a great place to start
In terms of dashboards in general, there is also room for improvement. A lot of the critique of dashboards as we know them, is based on the fact that they simply display data - not insights. Eg. Fitbit tells you how much you move but does not really tell you how to improve your fitness - you will have to figure that out yourself from reading the data.
What if discourse could have a smarter, dynamic dashboard that not only displays a lot of useful data, but serves you relevant insights on how to improve your community