Layer blur in Figma - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Layer blur

Dashboard Goal

Understand how applying layer blur effects in Figma can enhance the visual appeal of BI dashboards by focusing attention and improving readability.

Sample Data: Dashboard Elements with Blur Settings

Element	Type	Blur Radius (px)	Opacity (%)	Purpose
Background Image	Image Layer	10	100	Softens background to reduce distraction
Card Shadow	Rectangle Layer	5	50	Adds depth to cards
Popup Overlay	Rectangle Layer	15	70	Focuses on popup content
Button Hover	Shape Layer	8	80	Highlights button on hover
Chart Background	Rectangle Layer	3	40	Separates chart from background

Dashboard Components

• Background Image Layer: Applied layer blur with radius 10px at full opacity to soften the background and reduce distraction from main content.
• Card Shadow Layer: Rectangle with 5px blur radius and 50% opacity to create subtle depth behind KPI cards.
• Popup Overlay Layer: Rectangle with 15px blur radius and 70% opacity to blur the background behind popups, focusing user attention.
• Button Hover Effect: Shape layer with 8px blur radius and 80% opacity applied on hover state to highlight interactive buttons.
• Chart Background Layer: Rectangle with 3px blur radius and 40% opacity to visually separate charts from the page background.

Dashboard Layout

+--------------------------------------------------+
|                  Background Image                 |
|                  (Blur: 10px)                     |
|  +----------------+  +----------------+           |
|  |  KPI Card 1    |  |  KPI Card 2    |           |
|  | (Shadow Blur:5)|  | (Shadow Blur:5)|           |
|  +----------------+  +----------------+           |
|                                                  |
|  +--------------------------------------------+  |
|  |                Chart Area                   |  |
|  |           (Background Blur: 3px)            |  |
|  +--------------------------------------------+  |
|                                                  |
|  +----------------+                               |
|  |   Button       |                               |
|  | (Hover Blur:8) |                               |
|  +----------------+                               |
|                                                  |
|  +--------------------------------------------+  |
|  |              Popup Overlay                  |  |
|  |             (Blur: 15px, Opacity 70%)       |  |
|  +--------------------------------------------+  |
+--------------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

When the user hovers over the button, the layer blur effect with 8px radius and 80% opacity activates, highlighting the button visually.

Opening a popup triggers the popup overlay layer with 15px blur and 70% opacity, blurring the background and focusing attention on the popup content.

Other blur layers remain static to maintain consistent visual hierarchy and depth.

Self Check

If you open the popup, which layers visually change due to blur effects?

• The popup overlay layer activates with 15px blur and 70% opacity, blurring the background behind the popup.
• The background image and other layers remain blurred as configured but do not change dynamically.
• The button hover blur only activates on hover, so it does not change unless hovered.

Key Result

A Figma dashboard demonstrating layer blur effects on background, cards, popups, buttons, and charts to enhance visual focus and depth.