Creating components in Figma - Dashboard Building Guide

Dashboard Mode - Creating components

Goal

Understand how to create reusable components in Figma to build consistent BI dashboards efficiently.

Sample Data

Month	Sales	Region
January	100	North
February	150	North
March	200	South
April	250	South
May	300	East
June	350	East

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card Component: Displays total sales with a formula summing all sales values (100+150+200+250+300+350 = 1350). This component is reusable for any KPI by changing the metric.
• Bar Chart Component: Visualizes sales by month using the sample data. Each bar height corresponds to sales value for that month.
• Region Filter Component: A dropdown filter to select sales region (North, South, East). Filters update the KPI card and bar chart to show data only for the selected region.
• Sales Table Component: Shows detailed sales data rows filtered by region. Displays Month, Sales, and Region columns.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+----------------------+
|      KPI Card        |    Region Filter     |
+----------------------+----------------------+
|                      Bar Chart               |
|                                              |
+----------------------------------------------+
|                Sales Table                    |
+----------------------------------------------+

Interactivity

The Region Filter controls which data is shown in the KPI Card, Bar Chart, and Sales Table. Selecting a region updates all these components to show only sales from that region. For example, choosing 'North' updates the KPI Card to sum sales for January and February only (100+150=250), the Bar Chart to show bars for those months, and the Sales Table to list only those rows.

Self Check

If you select the region filter to 'South', which components update and what data do they show?

• KPI Card: Shows total sales for South (200+250=450).
• Bar Chart: Displays bars for March and April only.
• Sales Table: Lists rows for March and April with sales and region details.

Key Result

A Figma dashboard with reusable components showing sales KPIs, bar chart, and table filtered by region.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of using components in Figma?

easy

A. It removes all unused colors from your design.

B. You can reuse design parts easily across your project.

C. It converts your design into code instantly.

D. It automatically creates animations for your design.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of components

   Components are reusable design elements that help maintain consistency.

2. Step 2: Identify the main benefit

   Reusing parts saves time and keeps designs uniform.

3. Final Answer:

   You can reuse design parts easily across your project. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Components = Reuse design parts easily [OK]

Hint: Components help reuse design parts fast [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking components create animations automatically
• Believing components convert designs to code
• Assuming components clean unused colors

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a component in Figma?

easy

A. Drag layers into the assets panel without selection.

B. Select layers and press Ctrl + G to group them.

C. Right-click and choose 'Export' to create a component.

D. Select layers and press Ctrl + Alt + K to create a component.

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the shortcut for creating components

   In Figma, Ctrl + Alt + K (Cmd + Option + K on Mac) creates a component from selected layers.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Grouping (Ctrl + G) groups layers but does not create components; exporting saves files; dragging without selection won't create components.

3. Final Answer:

   Select layers and press Ctrl + Alt + K to create a component. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Create component shortcut = Ctrl + Alt + K [OK]

Hint: Use Ctrl+Alt+K to create components quickly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing grouping with component creation
• Trying to export instead of creating components
• Dragging layers without selecting them

3. If you edit the main component's color from blue to red, what happens to its instances?

medium

A. All instances update to red automatically.

B. Only new instances will be red; old ones stay blue.

C. Instances keep blue unless manually changed.

D. Instances get deleted and replaced with red shapes.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand component-instance relationship

   Instances inherit properties from the main component unless overridden.

2. Step 2: Apply the color change effect

   Changing the main component's color updates all instances automatically to keep consistency.

3. Final Answer:

   All instances update to red automatically. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Main component edit updates all instances [OK]

Hint: Edit main component to update all instances [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking old instances stay unchanged
• Believing instances must be manually updated
• Assuming instances get deleted on edit

4. You created a component but instances do not update after editing the main component. What is the likely issue?

medium

A. You forgot to save the file after editing.

B. You created a group instead of a component.

C. You edited an instance instead of the main component.

D. You used the wrong shortcut to create the component.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify difference between main component and instance

   Only editing the main component updates all instances; editing an instance changes only that one.

2. Step 2: Diagnose why instances don't update

   If instances don't update, likely the main component was not edited but an instance was.

3. Final Answer:

   You edited an instance instead of the main component. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Edit main component, not instance, to update all [OK]

Hint: Always edit main component, not instances [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Editing instances expecting all to update
• Assuming saving file triggers updates
• Confusing groups with components

5. You want to create a button component with two states: normal and hover. How should you organize components in Figma for easy reuse and switching?

hard

A. Create a main button component and use variants for normal and hover states.

B. Create two separate components named 'Button Normal' and 'Button Hover' without linking.

C. Group two buttons in a frame and use that as a component.

D. Create instances of the button and manually change colors for hover.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand component variants in Figma

   Variants allow multiple states inside one component for easy switching.

2. Step 2: Apply variants to button states

   Create a main button component with variants for normal and hover to reuse and switch states efficiently.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a main button component and use variants for normal and hover states. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use variants for multiple component states [OK]

Hint: Use variants to manage component states easily [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Creating separate unlinked components for states
• Grouping buttons instead of using variants
• Manually changing instances for hover state