Dashboards and dashlets
A dashboard is well suited to an overview or starting point. It can help users orient themselves or decide where to continue without duplicating every screen in the application. Each dashlet should contribute to that overview.
The technical Dashboard and dashlet reference describes configuration, dashboard types, and user-specific or public behavior. A technical property is not a UX rule by itself.
Focused dashboards
A dashboard is useful when a role needs to recognise its current workload, priorities, or a small number of next steps at a glance. Use a context or view instead when users need to inspect, compare, or edit records in detail.
Each dashlet needs a clear purpose, such as showing a work queue, a status summary, or an entry point into a common task. Avoid adding a dashlet merely because a view is available. A dashboard is not a substitute for clear navigation, and it should not repeat the same information in several forms without helping users make a decision.
Put the most important information and next steps in a predictable position. The visual order should reflect the priority of the role's work rather than the technical order in which the dashlets were created. Keep the number of dashlets small enough that the overview remains scannable on every supported device.
A task-focused context or view is often a better fit for detailed work. An overview remains effective while its contents are easy to scan, so reviewing it with the intended users and devices is worthwhile.
Define user control deliberately
Decide for each dashboard whether users can add, remove, reorder, or resize dashlets. These permissions should support the dashboard's purpose:
- A personal work dashboard can allow users to arrange their own useful tools and information.
- A shared dashboard benefits from a stable default layout when its order or contents communicate a common process or priority.
- A fixed dashboard is appropriate when the arrangement itself is necessary to understand the information or when users must not remove required content.
The technical configuration distinguishes PRIVATE and PUBLIC dashboards.
For a public dashboard, fixedDashlets and editRoles determine whether users
can change the shared layout. The dashboard and dashlet
reference
describes these options.
Support devices and accessibility
A dashboard that works on a wide desktop screen can become difficult to scan or operate on a tablet or phone. Test the actual arrangement on every supported device variant. Do not make a dense dashboard the only way to reach a task that must also be completed on a smaller device.
Review dashboard behavior
Use representative users, data, and permission sets to review the full dashboard experience before release.
| Review area | Questions to answer |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Does the dashboard help the intended role understand its work or choose the next step? |
| Content and order | Does each dashlet have a distinct purpose, and does the layout reflect task priority? |
| Personalisation | Can users change the intended dashlets and layout? |
| Permissions | Does the dashboard remain understandable when content or actions differ by role? |
| Devices | Does the configured arrangement remain usable on every supported device variant? |