Solid fills in Figma - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Solid fills

Dashboard Goal

Show how to use solid fills to highlight key sales data in a simple sales dashboard.

Sample Data

Region	Salesperson	Sales Amount	Month
North	Alice	1200	January
South	Bob	900	January
East	Charlie	1500	January
West	Diana	700	January
North	Alice	1300	February
South	Bob	1100	February
East	Charlie	1600	February
West	Diana	800	February

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Sales showing sum of all sales amounts (1200+900+1500+700+1300+1100+1600+800 = 9100). Solid fill color: #4CAF50 (green) to show success.
• Bar Chart: Sales by Region for January. Bars filled with solid colors: North (#2196F3 blue), South (#FF5722 orange), East (#9C27B0 purple), West (#FFC107 amber). Sales values: North=1200, South=900, East=1500, West=700.
• Table: Salesperson and Sales Amount for February. Rows with sales above 1200 have solid fill background #E8F5E9 (light green) to highlight good performance. Rows: Alice=1300 (highlighted), Bob=1100, Charlie=1600 (highlighted), Diana=800.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-------------------------+
|      KPI Card        |      Bar Chart          |
|  (Total Sales 9100)  |  Sales by Region Jan    |
|  [Solid green fill]  |  [Solid colored bars]   |
+----------------------+-------------------------+
|                      February Sales Table       |
|      [Rows with solid fill highlights]          |
+-------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

The dashboard includes a month filter (January or February). When the user selects a month:

• The Bar Chart updates to show sales by region for the selected month.
• The Table updates to show salespersons and sales amounts for the selected month, with solid fill highlights for sales above 1200.
• The KPI Card updates the total sales sum for the selected month, keeping the solid green fill to indicate overall success.

Self Check

Try selecting February in the month filter. Which components update and what changes do you see?

• KPI Card updates total sales to 1300+1100+1600+800 = 4800 with green fill.
• Bar Chart updates to show February sales by region: North=1300, South=1100, East=1600, West=800 with solid colored bars.
• Table updates to show February salespersons and sales, highlighting Alice and Charlie rows with light green solid fill.

Key Result

A simple sales dashboard demonstrating solid fills to highlight total sales, regional sales bars, and high-performing salespersons.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using Solid fills in Figma for Business Intelligence visuals?

easy

A. To import external images into the design

B. To create complex gradients and patterns

C. To add a uniform color to shapes or areas for better clarity

D. To add text labels to charts

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what solid fills do

   Solid fills add a single, uniform color to shapes or areas in a design.

2. Step 2: Identify their use in BI visuals

   They help improve clarity and highlight important parts by using consistent colors.

3. Final Answer:

   To add a uniform color to shapes or areas for better clarity -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Solid fills = uniform color [OK]

Hint: Solid fills = one color, simple and clear [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing solid fills with gradients or patterns
• Thinking solid fills add text or images
• Assuming solid fills create complex designs

2. Which of the following is the correct way to apply a solid fill color to a shape in Figma?

easy

A. Select the shape, go to Fill section, click the color box, and pick a color

B. Right-click the shape and choose 'Add Gradient Fill'

C. Drag and drop an image onto the shape

D. Use the Text tool to type the color name inside the shape

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the Fill section in Figma

   In Figma, the Fill section is where you add or change colors for shapes.

2. Step 2: Apply solid fill correctly

   Select the shape, click the color box in Fill, and choose the desired color to apply a solid fill.

3. Final Answer:

   Select the shape, go to Fill section, click the color box, and pick a color -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Fill section + color box = solid fill [OK]

Hint: Fill section + color picker = solid fill [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing gradient fill instead of solid fill
• Trying to add images instead of colors
• Using text tool to change color

3. Consider a rectangle shape in Figma with a solid fill color set to #FF0000 (red). If you change the fill color to #00FF00 (green), what will be the visible color of the rectangle?

medium

A. Red

B. Green

C. Yellow

D. No color (transparent)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand fill color change effect

   Changing the fill color replaces the old color with the new one on the shape.

2. Step 2: Apply the new color #00FF00

   The rectangle's fill changes from red (#FF0000) to green (#00FF00), so it will appear green.

3. Final Answer:

   Green -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Fill color change = new color visible [OK]

Hint: Last fill color set is what you see [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking colors mix to create yellow
• Assuming old color stays visible
• Believing fill becomes transparent

4. You applied a solid fill to a shape in Figma, but the color does not appear. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. The fill opacity is set to 0%

B. The shape is locked

C. The fill color is set to black

D. The shape has no stroke

Solution

1. Step 1: Check fill opacity setting

   If fill opacity is 0%, the fill color is fully transparent and won't show.

2. Step 2: Confirm other options

   Locking a shape or having no stroke does not hide fill color; black color is visible.

3. Final Answer:

   The fill opacity is set to 0% -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Opacity 0% = invisible fill [OK]

Hint: Check opacity if fill color is invisible [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing stroke with fill visibility
• Assuming locked shape hides fill
• Thinking black color is invisible

5. You want to highlight a key metric on a BI dashboard using Figma. Which approach best uses solid fills to improve readability and focus?

hard

A. Remove all fills and use only outlines around the metric

B. Use multiple gradient fills on the metric background

C. Add a solid fill with the same color as the dashboard background

D. Apply a bright solid fill color to the metric's background and a contrasting color to the text

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand highlighting with solid fills

   Using a bright solid fill behind the metric draws attention and improves readability.

2. Step 2: Ensure text contrast

   Applying a contrasting text color ensures the metric is easy to read against the fill.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   Gradients can distract, same color fill hides metric, outlines alone don't highlight well.

4. Final Answer:

   Apply a bright solid fill color to the metric's background and a contrasting color to the text -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Bright fill + contrast text = highlight [OK]

Hint: Bright fill + contrast text = clear highlight [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using gradients that reduce focus
• Matching fill to background color
• Relying on outlines without fill