7-3: Creating Dashboards
Now that you can filter and save views, let's take it to the next level! Dashboards let you see the big picture at a glance—track key metrics, spot trends, and share progress with your team.
Think of dashboards as your mission control center. Instead of clicking through different tables and views, you get all your important numbers in one place, updating in real-time.
💡 What You'll Learn
By the end of this section, you'll be able to:
- ✅ Create your own dashboard in minutes
- ✅ Add different types of widgets (numbers, charts, lists)
- ✅ Arrange widgets to tell your data story
- ✅ Share dashboards with your team
7-3.1: Why Dashboards?
Let's say you're managing customer support. Right now, you might check:
- Your Support Tickets table → filter for "Open" → count rows
- Click around → filter for "Closed" → check yesterday vs. today
- Switch tables → check team assignments
That's a lot of clicking! 😅
With a dashboard, you see everything at once:
- 23 Open Tickets (big number, can't miss it!)
- Chart showing tickets closed per day (trending up? 📈)
- List of recent tickets (what came in just now?)
All updating automatically as new tickets arrive. That's the power of dashboards!
💡 💡 Real-World Example
Before dashboards: Sarah checks 5 different tables each morning, taking 15 minutes to understand what happened overnight.
After dashboards: Sarah opens one dashboard, sees everything in 30 seconds, and knows exactly what needs attention.
7-3.2: Creating Your First Dashboard
Let's create a Customer Support dashboard together!
Step 1: Access Dashboards
From your table view, look for the Dashboards button in the top navigation. Click it!
Taible Toolbar:
Step 2: Create a New Dashboard
Click the "Create Dashboard" button. You'll see a simple form:
Create Dashboard
Fill in:
- Dashboard Name: "Customer Support Overview"
- Description: "Track open tickets, response times, and team performance"
Click "Create Dashboard" and you're in! 🎉
💡 🎉 You Just Created a Dashboard!
Right now it's empty—but that's perfect! You're about to add your first widget and watch your data come to life.
7-3.3: Adding Your First Widget (Number Card)
Dashboards are made of widgets—little blocks that show different types of information. Let's add your first one!
Step 1: Click "+ Add Widget"
You'll see a menu of widget types. Each one shows data in a different way:
Add Widget
Choose a widget type to add to your dashboard
For now, choose "Stat Card" (the one that shows a big number).
Step 2: Configure the Widget
Tell the widget what to show:
Configure Stat Card Widget
Filter (optional)
Here's what each setting means:
- Widget Title: What should the number represent? ("Open Tickets")
- Data Source: Which table has the data? ("Support Tickets")
- Calculation Type: Count the rows
- Filter: Only count rows where Status = "Open"
Click "Save Widget" and boom! 💥
💡 💡 Think of It Like This
A Stat Card is like asking your data a question:
- Question: "How many open tickets do we have?"
- Answer: A big, bold 23 right on your dashboard
The number updates automatically as tickets open and close!
7-3.4: Adding a Chart Widget
Numbers are great, but charts show trends over time. Let's add a chart to see if you're closing tickets faster or slower than usual.
Step 1: Click "+ Add Widget" Again
This time, choose "Chart".
Step 2: Configure the Chart
Configure Chart Widget
Set up:
- Widget Title: "Tickets Closed Per Day"
- Data Source: "Support Tickets"
- Chart Type: Line Chart
- Date Column: "Closed At"
- Time Range: Last 30 days
Click "Save Widget" and watch your chart appear!
Tickets Closed Per Day
Showing data from last 30 days
What you're seeing:
- Each point = number of tickets closed that day
- Line going up = you're closing more tickets! 📈
- Line going down = might need help! 📉
💡 Pro Tip: Spotting Trends
Look for patterns:
- Sudden spike? Maybe you launched a new product
- Dip on weekends? Totally normal if you don't work weekends
- Steady climb? Your team is getting more efficient! 🚀
Charts turn numbers into stories.
7-3.5: Adding a List Widget
Sometimes you need details, not just numbers. List widgets show you the actual rows from your table.
Step 1: Add a List Widget
Click "+ Add Widget" → Choose "List"
Configure it:
- Widget Title: "Recent Tickets"
- Data Source: "Support Tickets"
- Sort by: Created At (newest first)
- Show: 10 rows
- Columns to display: Subject, Status, Priority
Step 2: See Your Recent Tickets
The list updates in real-time! Every time a new ticket arrives, it pops up at the top.
💡 💡 When to Use List Widgets
Lists are perfect for:
- ✅ "What just happened?" (recent activity)
- ✅ "What needs attention?" (high priority items)
- ✅ "Who's working on what?" (assignments)
They're like a live feed of your data!
7-3.6: Your Complete Dashboard
Now let's see all three widgets together:
Customer Support Overview
Track open tickets, response times, and team performance
Open Tickets
23
Tickets Closed Per Day
Recent Tickets
Look at that! In one screen, you can see:
- Big number (23 open tickets) → Quick status check
- Chart (trend over time) → Are we improving?
- List (recent activity) → What's happening right now?
This is actionable data—you can make decisions at a glance!
💡 🎉 You Just Built a Dashboard!
From scratch to a complete dashboard in minutes! And the best part? It updates automatically—no manual reports, no copying numbers into spreadsheets.
7-3.7: Arranging Widgets
Don't like the layout? You can rearrange widgets by dragging them around!
How it works:
- Hover over a widget → You'll see a handle (⋮⋮) at the top
- Click and drag → Move the widget to a new spot
- Resize → Drag the corners to make widgets bigger or smaller
Tips for great layouts:
- Put your most important number at the top-left (that's where eyes go first!)
- Charts work better when they're wider (more room for the timeline)
- Lists work better when they're taller (show more rows)
💡 💡 Design Tip
Think about the story you want to tell:
- Top: "Here's the situation" (status numbers)
- Middle: "Here's the trend" (charts)
- Bottom: "Here's what to do" (lists of items needing action)
Your dashboard should answer questions in order!
7-3.8: Sharing Your Dashboard
Your dashboard looks great! Now share it with your team.
Click the "Share" button at the top right:
Share Dashboard
Give your team access to this dashboard
Anyone with this link can view the dashboard
Other Options
You can:
1. Share a Link
- Anyone with the link can view the dashboard
- Copy the link and send it via email, Slack, anywhere!
- Updates in real-time (when they look, they see current data)
2. Email Reports
- Send a snapshot of the dashboard
- Schedule daily/weekly reports
- Great for executives who want summaries
3. Export as PDF
- Download a static copy
- Perfect for presentations or printing
💡 Permission Note
Viewers see the dashboard but can't edit it. Only you (the creator) can add or remove widgets. This keeps your carefully designed layout safe!
7-3.9: Common Dashboard Patterns
Here are some dashboards people love to create:
Sales Dashboard:
- Stat Card: "Deals Closed This Month"
- Chart: "Revenue Over Time"
- List: "Hot Leads (Score > 80)"
Operations Dashboard:
- Stat Card: "Orders Pending Shipment"
- Chart: "Fulfillment Time Trend"
- List: "Urgent Orders"
Marketing Dashboard:
- Stat Card: "Leads This Week"
- Chart: "Lead Source Performance"
- List: "Recent Campaign Sign-ups"
Support Dashboard:
- Stat Card: "Average Response Time"
- Chart: "Ticket Volume by Day"
- List: "Escalated Issues"
💡 💡 Start Simple, Add More Later
Your first dashboard doesn't need 20 widgets! Start with 2-3 key metrics that you check every day. Add more as you figure out what you need.
A simple dashboard you actually use beats a complex one you ignore.
7-3.10: Widget Best Practices
Stat Cards: Use for single, important numbers
- ✅ "23 Open Tickets"
- ✅ "$127,450 Revenue"
- ❌ Don't use for lists of things
Charts: Use for trends over time
- ✅ "Tickets Closed Per Day"
- ✅ "Revenue Growth"
- ❌ Don't use if you only care about "right now"
Lists: Use for items needing action
- ✅ "High Priority Tickets"
- ✅ "New Leads Today"
- ❌ Don't show 100+ rows (use filters!)
Tables: Use for detailed comparisons
- ✅ "Sales by Product"
- ✅ "Performance by Team Member"
- ❌ Don't use if a chart would be clearer
7-3.11: Keeping Dashboards Fast
Dashboards update automatically, but here are tips to keep them snappy:
Do:
- ✅ Filter to relevant data ("Last 30 days" instead of "All time")
- ✅ Limit list widgets to 10-20 rows
- ✅ Use 3-6 widgets per dashboard (not 50!)
Don't:
- ❌ Show "All rows" in huge tables
- ❌ Add 20 widgets just because you can
- ❌ Nest complex calculations in widgets
💡 Performance Tip
If your dashboard feels slow, try:
- Reduce the time range (30 days → 7 days)
- Add more specific filters
- Split into multiple dashboards by topic
Focused dashboards load faster and are easier to understand!
7-3.12: Updating Dashboards
Need to change a widget? Easy!
Edit a Widget:
- Click the ⋮ menu on any widget
- Choose "Edit"
- Update the configuration
- Save!
Remove a Widget:
- Click the ⋮ menu
- Choose "Delete"
- Confirm (it's gone, but you can always add it back)
Change Dashboard Info:
- Click "Settings" at the top
- Update name or description
- Save
What You've Learned
You now know how to create powerful dashboards! 🎉
You learned:
- ✅ Why dashboards save time and improve decisions
- ✅ How to create a dashboard from scratch
- ✅ Adding Stat Cards (big numbers)
- ✅ Adding Charts (trends over time)
- ✅ Adding Lists (recent activity)
- ✅ Arranging widgets for maximum impact
- ✅ Sharing dashboards with your team
Next: Ready for real-world examples? In Part 8, we'll build complete automation systems from start to finish—combining everything you've learned into powerful workflows!
💡 🎉 You're a Dashboard Pro!
From raw data to beautiful visualizations in minutes. You can now turn any table into a dashboard that tells a story, tracks progress, and helps your team make better decisions.
That's the power of Uniki! 🚀
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