Community resources and templates in Figma - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Community resources and templates

Goal

Help users find and use community-shared BI dashboard templates and resources to speed up their dashboard building process.

Sample Data

Template Name	Category	Popularity Score	Downloads	Last Updated
Sales Overview	Sales	85	1200	2024-05-10
Marketing Funnel	Marketing	78	950	2024-04-22
Financial Summary	Finance	90	1500	2024-05-15
Customer Insights	Customer	70	800	2024-03-30
Project Tracker	Operations	65	600	2024-02-18
Inventory Dashboard	Logistics	75	700	2024-04-05

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card: Total Downloads
  Formula: SUM(Downloads) = 1200 + 950 + 1500 + 800 + 600 + 700 = 5750
  Shows total downloads of all templates combined.
• KPI Card: Average Popularity Score
  Formula: AVERAGE(Popularity Score) = (85 + 78 + 90 + 70 + 65 + 75) / 6 = 77.17
  Shows average popularity score across all templates.
• Bar Chart: Downloads by Category
  Groups templates by Category and sums Downloads:
  Sales: 1200
  Marketing: 950
  Finance: 1500
  Customer: 800
  Operations: 600
  Logistics: 700
  Shows which category has the most downloads.
• Table: Template Details
  Shows all columns: Template Name, Category, Popularity Score, Downloads, Last Updated.
  Allows sorting by any column.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-------------------------+
| Total Downloads (KPI) | Average Popularity (KPI) |
+----------------------+-------------------------+
|       Bar Chart: Downloads by Category       |
+----------------------------------------------+
|               Table: Template Details        |
+----------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

Filter by Category dropdown:
- When a category is selected, the Bar Chart updates to show only that category's downloads.
- The KPI cards update to reflect totals and averages for the selected category.
- The Table filters to show only templates in the selected category.

Self Check

If you select the category 'Finance' in the filter:
- Total Downloads KPI shows 1500.
- Average Popularity KPI shows 90.
- Bar Chart shows only the Finance category bar with 1500 downloads.
- Table shows only the 'Financial Summary' template row.

Key Result

Dashboard showing community BI templates with total downloads, popularity, downloads by category, and detailed template info.

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