So, let’s get into when and why you might use these… Design Componentsįor business dashboards, it’s usually best to try to keep external design components to a minimum, but when used effectively, they can improve your dashboard’s appearance and the user’s experience.

Create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.

Create design components such as icons, buttons, overlays, and background layouts, or.

In my mind, it boils down to two reasons to use a design tool like Figma in your process: If you want to see how different tools can accomplish the same task, give them a watch! Why would I use design tools?

Autumn Battani hosted a series on her YouTube channel that demonstrates this very well ( link). Plenty of people use PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Adobe Illustrator just to name a few. There are other tools that you can use to accomplish similar things to varying degrees. Just a quick note to say, I might talk about Figma a lot here, but this post isn’t about Figma specifically. In this installment of the “It Depends” series, I’ll unpack how and when I use design tools in my dashboard development process. These are all really good questions to be asking, especially if you haven’t used these tools in your work before.

Some questions seem to come up often: What do you use Figma for? What are wireframes? Do I need prototypes? Should I use background images in my dashboards? Are these tools just something to use for flashy dashboards for Tableau Public? Why wouldn’t you just do your mockup in Tableau? Perhaps you’ve seen dashboards with custom backgrounds. You may have heard people talk about Figma or Illustrator, or maybe you’ve heard people talking about wireframes or prototypes.

Tools for website design with data