Community resources and templates in Figma - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Community resources and templates in Figma help you quickly start your BI dashboard designs by using ready-made layouts and components shared by others. This saves time and gives you ideas on how to organize your data visuals effectively.

When you want a quick starting point for a sales report dashboard without designing from scratch

When you need inspiration for visualizing customer data with charts and tables

When you want to use proven design patterns for financial reports shared by the BI community

When you want to save time by reusing templates for monthly performance dashboards

When you want to learn best practices by exploring how others build BI visuals in Figma

Steps

Step 1: Open

- Figma desktop app or web app

Figma home screen shows your recent files and Community tab

Step 2: Click

- Community tab in the left sidebar

Community page loads showing search bar and featured resources

Step 3: Type

- Search bar at the top of the Community page

Search results update to show templates and files matching your keywords

💡 Use keywords like 'BI dashboard', 'data visualization', or 'report template'

Step 4: Select

- A template or resource from the search results

Template preview opens showing pages, frames, and components

Step 5: Click

- Duplicate button at the top right of the template preview

Template file is copied to your Figma drafts for editing

Step 6: Open

- Your drafts from the Figma home screen

You see the duplicated template ready for customization

Step 7: Edit

- Template frames and components

You can change text, colors, charts, and layouts to fit your BI data

Before vs After

Before

Figma home screen shows no BI dashboard files in your drafts

After

Your drafts include a duplicated BI dashboard template ready for customization

Settings Reference

Search filters

📍 Community tab search bar dropdown

To narrow down community search results to specific resource types

Default: Files

Duplicate file

📍 Top right corner of template preview page

To copy a community template into your own Figma drafts for editing

Default: Duplicate

File permissions

📍 Share button in your duplicated file

To control who can view or edit your customized BI template

Default: Can edit

Common Mistakes

Not using specific keywords when searching community templates

This returns too many unrelated results making it hard to find BI templates

Use focused keywords like 'BI dashboard', 'data report', or 'analytics template'

Editing the community template directly without duplicating

You cannot save changes to the original community file

Always click Duplicate to copy the template to your drafts before editing

Summary

Community resources and templates provide ready-made BI dashboard designs to save time.

Use the Community tab in Figma to search, preview, and duplicate templates.

Always duplicate templates before editing to keep your own copy.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of using community resources and templates in BI design?

easy

A. They replace the need to understand your own data.

B. They save time by providing ready-made designs and ideas.

C. They guarantee perfect results without any customization.

D. They limit creativity by forcing fixed layouts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of community resources

   Community resources and templates provide pre-built designs and examples to help start your BI projects faster.

2. Step 2: Recognize their benefit in saving time

   Using these resources reduces the time spent on design and helps you focus on your data story.

3. Final Answer:

   They save time by providing ready-made designs and ideas. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Community templates = Save time [OK]

Hint: Templates speed up design by giving you a head start [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking templates replace data understanding
• Believing templates are perfect without changes
• Assuming templates limit creativity

2. Which of the following is the correct way to find templates in Figma's community for BI dashboards?

easy

A. Open Figma and click 'New File' without searching.

B. Use the 'Export' option to download templates.

C. Search for 'BI dashboard templates' in the Figma Community tab.

D. Search Google for 'Figma export templates'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the Figma Community tab

   Figma has a built-in Community tab where users share templates and resources.

2. Step 2: Use the search feature within Community

   Typing keywords like 'BI dashboard templates' helps find relevant templates quickly.

3. Final Answer:

   Search for 'BI dashboard templates' in the Figma Community tab. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Community search = Find templates [OK]

Hint: Use Community tab search with keywords to find templates fast [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to find templates without using Community tab
• Confusing export with template search
• Searching outside Figma for templates

3. You open a BI dashboard template from Figma Community and want to customize it for your sales data. Which step will NOT be part of your process?

medium

A. Delete all template pages without review.

B. Change colors to match your company branding.

C. Adjust text labels to reflect your data categories.

D. Replace placeholder charts with your actual sales charts.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand template customization

   Customizing means replacing placeholders, changing colors, and updating labels to fit your data.

2. Step 2: Identify incorrect action

   Deleting all pages without review removes useful template parts and is not a good practice.

3. Final Answer:

   Delete all template pages without review. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Customization excludes deleting all pages blindly [OK]

Hint: Keep useful template parts; customize, don't delete blindly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Deleting template pages before understanding them
• Not updating colors or labels
• Leaving placeholder charts unchanged

4. You tried to use a Figma BI template but the charts do not update when you replace data. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You used the Community search incorrectly.

B. You saved the file with a new name.

C. You changed the background color.

D. You replaced images instead of linked charts or components.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify how Figma templates handle charts

   Charts in templates are often linked components or vectors that update with data changes.

2. Step 2: Understand why replacing images breaks updates

   Replacing charts with static images breaks the link, so charts won't update dynamically.

3. Final Answer:

   You replaced images instead of linked charts or components. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Replacing images breaks dynamic charts [OK]

Hint: Replace linked components, not static images, to update charts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking file name affects chart updates
• Blaming search method for chart issues
• Assuming background color affects data updates

5. You want to create a custom BI dashboard in Figma using a community template but need to adapt it for mobile screens. What is the best approach?

hard

A. Use the template as a base, then create responsive frames with auto-layout for mobile.

B. Directly export the desktop template as a mobile app without changes.

C. Delete all desktop frames and start from scratch for mobile.

D. Only change font sizes without adjusting layout or frames.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand responsive design in Figma

   Figma's auto-layout and frames allow creating designs that adapt to different screen sizes.

2. Step 2: Apply responsive techniques to templates

   Starting with a template and adjusting frames with auto-layout helps create a mobile-friendly dashboard efficiently.

3. Final Answer:

   Use the template as a base, then create responsive frames with auto-layout for mobile. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Responsive frames + auto-layout = Mobile-ready design [OK]

Hint: Start with template, then use auto-layout for mobile responsiveness [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Exporting desktop design as mobile without changes
• Deleting desktop frames unnecessarily
• Only changing fonts without layout adjustments