dashboard-design

Dashboard Design

Before You Start: Load Design Context

Read .agents/design-context.md (written by the design-context skill). If it is missing, look for tokens in tailwind.config.* or :root CSS variables. If nothing exists, use the defaults (Primary #2563EB, Secondary #7C3AED, Accent #F59E0B, Tailwind gray neutrals, Inter for headings and body, Minimal style) and tell the user defaults were used — suggest running design-context.
Map tokens to CSS variables once, then use only the variables: --color-primary, --color-primary-light, --color-primary-dark, --color-secondary, --color-accent, --color-neutral-50…--color-neutral-900, --color-success/-warning/-error, --font-heading, --font-body, --font-mono, --radius, and the 4px-base spacing scale.
Tailwind: expose the same variables (v3 theme.extend, v4 @theme) as primary, primary-light, primary-dark, secondary, accent, neutral-*, font-heading, font-body. The indigo-* / gray-* classes in the examples below are placeholders for these tokens.
Figma: if the user gives a Figma URL, pull it with the Figma MCP (get_design_context, get_screenshot) and match it; it overrides the context file for that design.
Ask or infer: what data is shown, who uses it, what actions they take? Map Success/Warning/Error to the status badges and derive chart colors from Primary/Secondary/Accent (section 3).

1. Layout Patterns

Pattern A: Sidebar + Main Content (Most Common)

<div class="flex h-screen bg-gray-50">
  <!-- Sidebar -->
  <!-- Hidden below lg; open as an overlay drawer via a menu button (see Sidebar Behavior) -->
  <aside class="hidden lg:flex w-64 shrink-0 bg-white border-r border-gray-200 flex-col">
    <!-- Logo -->
    <div class="h-16 flex items-center px-6 border-b border-gray-100">
      <img src="/logo.svg" alt="App" class="h-8" />
    </div>
    <!-- Navigation -->
    <nav aria-label="Main" class="flex-1 py-4 px-3 space-y-1 overflow-y-auto">
      <!-- Active item -->
      <a href="#" aria-current="page" class="flex items-center gap-3 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg
        bg-indigo-50 text-indigo-700 font-medium text-sm">
        <svg class="w-5 h-5" aria-hidden="true"><!-- icon --></svg>
        Dashboard
      </a>
      <!-- Inactive item -->
      <a href="#" class="flex items-center gap-3 px-3 py-2 rounded-lg
        text-gray-600 hover:bg-gray-100 hover:text-gray-900 text-sm transition-colors">
        <svg class="w-5 h-5" aria-hidden="true"><!-- icon --></svg>
        Analytics
      </a>
      <!-- Section header -->
      <div class="pt-4 pb-1 px-3 text-xs font-semibold text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wider">
        Settings
      </div>
    </nav>
    <!-- User section at bottom -->
    <div class="p-4 border-t border-gray-100">
      <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
        <img src="/avatar.jpg" alt="" class="w-8 h-8 rounded-full" />
        <div class="text-sm">
          <div class="font-medium text-gray-900">Jane Doe</div>
          <div class="text-gray-500 text-xs">Admin</div>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </aside>

  <!-- Main content -->
  <main class="flex-1 min-w-0 overflow-y-auto">
    <!-- Top bar -->
    <header class="h-16 bg-white border-b border-gray-200 flex items-center
      justify-between px-6 sticky top-0 z-10">
      <h1 class="text-lg font-semibold text-gray-900">Dashboard</h1>
      <div class="flex items-center gap-4">
        <!-- Search, notifications, profile -->
      </div>
    </header>
    <!-- Content area -->
    <div class="p-6">
      <!-- Dashboard content here -->
    </div>
  </main>
</div>

Sidebar Behavior

Desktop (lg+): Always visible, 240–280px wide.
Tablet (md): Collapsible to icon-only (64px) with tooltip labels.
Mobile (< md): Hidden, opens as an overlay drawer with backdrop from a labelled menu button (aria-expanded, focus moved into the drawer, Esc closes).
Breakpoints follow the Tailwind defaults in ui-design (md 768, lg 1024, xl 1280, 2xl 1536).

Pattern B: Top Nav + Grid

Best for simpler dashboards with fewer navigation items.
Horizontal nav bar at top, content fills below.
Use tabs or pill navigation for sub-sections.

2. Data Cards (KPI Tiles)

Standard Stat Card

<div class="bg-white rounded-xl border border-gray-200 p-6">
  <div class="flex items-center justify-between">
    <span class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-500">Total Revenue</span>
    <span class="w-10 h-10 rounded-lg bg-emerald-50 text-emerald-600
      flex items-center justify-center">
      <svg class="w-5 h-5" aria-hidden="true"><!-- dollar icon --></svg>
    </span>
  </div>
  <div class="mt-3">
    <span class="text-3xl font-bold text-gray-900">$45,231</span>
  </div>
  <div class="mt-2 flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm">
    <span class="text-emerald-600 font-medium flex items-center gap-0.5">
      <svg class="w-4 h-4" aria-hidden="true"><!-- arrow-up icon --></svg>
      <span class="sr-only">Up</span> +12.5%
    </span>
    <span class="text-gray-500">vs last month</span>
  </div>
</div>

Card Grid Layout

<div class="grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-4 gap-4 md:gap-6">
  <!-- 4 stat cards -->
</div>

Card Variants

With sparkline: Add a small inline chart below the number.
With progress bar: Show completion toward a goal.
With mini table: Top 3 items listed below the stat.
Negative trend: Use red with down-arrow and a minus sign — never color alone (color-blind users).
Loading: show a skeleton tile of the same size, not a spinner, so the grid doesn't shift.

3. Chart Selection Guide

Data Type	Best Chart	When to Use
Trend over time	Line chart	Revenue, users, performance over days/months
Comparison	Bar chart	Compare categories, A/B results
Composition	Pie / Donut	Budget breakdown, traffic sources (max 5 slices)
Volume over time	Area chart	Bandwidth, cumulative metrics
Distribution	Histogram	Age ranges, price ranges
Relationship	Scatter plot	Correlation between two variables
Progress	Progress bar / Gauge	Goal completion, quotas
Ranking	Horizontal bar	Top pages, top products

Chart Design Rules

Title every chart with what it shows, not how to read it.
Label axes clearly. Include units.
Limit colors to 5–6 max, derived from the brand tokens. Each series color needs 3:1 contrast against the chart background (WCAG 1.4.11); add direct labels or patterns so color isn't the only cue.
Start Y-axis at zero for bar charts. Line charts can have non-zero baselines.
Add tooltips for exact values on hover.
Use grid lines sparingly — light dashed lines, not solid.
Responsive: Charts should resize, not overflow.

Chart Color Palette

:root {
  /* Lightness ≤ ~65% keeps ≥ 3:1 against white; lighten ~10–15% for dark backgrounds */
  --chart-1: var(--color-primary);
  --chart-2: oklch(58% 0.12 185);  /* teal */
  --chart-3: oklch(58% 0.19 350);  /* pink */
  --chart-4: oklch(64% 0.15 60);   /* amber/orange */
  --chart-5: oklch(55% 0.14 145);  /* green */
}

If a data-visualization skill (such as dataviz) is installed, follow it for chart marks, legends, and tooltips.

4. Table Design

Full-Featured Data Table

<div class="bg-white rounded-xl border border-gray-200 overflow-hidden">
  <!-- Table header / toolbar -->
  <div class="px-6 py-4 border-b border-gray-100 flex items-center justify-between">
    <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
      <h2 class="font-semibold text-gray-900">Recent Orders</h2>
      <span class="bg-gray-100 text-gray-600 text-xs font-medium px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full">
        2,847
      </span>
    </div>
    <div class="flex items-center gap-2">
      <!-- Search input -->
      <input type="search" placeholder="Search orders…" aria-label="Search orders"
        class="text-sm border border-gray-300 rounded-lg px-3 py-1.5 w-full sm:w-56
        focus:border-indigo-500 focus:ring-2 focus:ring-indigo-500/20" />
      <!-- Filter button -->
      <button type="button" class="text-sm text-gray-600 border border-gray-300 rounded-lg
        px-3 py-1.5 hover:bg-gray-50 flex items-center gap-1.5">
        <svg class="w-4 h-4" aria-hidden="true"><!-- filter icon --></svg>
        Filters
      </button>
    </div>
  </div>

  <!-- Table: horizontal scroll wrapper so wide tables never break the page -->
  <div class="overflow-x-auto">
  <table class="w-full text-sm">
    <caption class="sr-only">Recent orders</caption>
    <thead>
      <tr class="border-b border-gray-100 text-left">
        <th scope="col" aria-sort="ascending" class="px-6 py-3 text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wider">
          <button type="button" class="flex items-center gap-1 hover:text-gray-700">
            Customer
            <svg class="w-3 h-3" aria-hidden="true"><!-- sort icon --></svg>
          </button>
        </th>
        <th scope="col" class="px-6 py-3 text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wider">
          Status
        </th>
        <th scope="col" class="px-6 py-3 text-xs font-medium text-gray-500 uppercase tracking-wider
          text-right">
          Amount
        </th>
        <th scope="col" class="px-6 py-3 w-12"><span class="sr-only">Actions</span></th>
      </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody class="divide-y divide-gray-50">
      <tr class="hover:bg-gray-50 transition-colors">
        <td class="px-6 py-4">
          <div class="flex items-center gap-3">
            <img src="/avatar.jpg" alt="" class="w-8 h-8 rounded-full" />
            <div>
              <div class="font-medium text-gray-900">Jane Cooper</div>
              <div class="text-gray-500 text-xs">jane@example.com</div>
            </div>
          </div>
        </td>
        <td class="px-6 py-4">
          <span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full
            text-xs font-medium bg-emerald-50 text-emerald-700">
            <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-emerald-500"></span>
            Completed
          </span>
        </td>
        <td class="px-6 py-4 text-right font-medium text-gray-900">$2,500.00</td>
        <td class="px-6 py-4">
          <button type="button" aria-label="Actions for Jane Cooper" aria-haspopup="menu"
            class="p-1.5 rounded-md text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-100">
            <svg class="w-5 h-5" aria-hidden="true"><!-- dots icon --></svg>
          </button>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </tbody>
  </table>
  </div>

  <!-- Pagination -->
  <nav aria-label="Pagination" class="px-6 py-4 border-t border-gray-100 flex items-center justify-between text-sm">
    <span class="text-gray-500">Showing 1-10 of 2,847</span>
    <div class="flex gap-1">
      <button class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 text-gray-600
        hover:bg-gray-50 disabled:opacity-50" disabled>Previous</button>
      <button class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg bg-indigo-600 text-white" aria-current="page">1</button>
      <button class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 text-gray-600
        hover:bg-gray-50">2</button>
      <button class="px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg border border-gray-200 text-gray-600
        hover:bg-gray-50">Next</button>
    </div>
  </nav>
</div>

Table Design Rules

Align numbers right, text left.
Use row hover highlight (hover:bg-gray-50).
Sticky header on scroll (sticky top-0 on <th> with a solid background, or it shows rows through it).
Sortable columns: <button> inside <th>, with aria-sort on the sorted column.
Zebra striping is optional; subtle dividers are preferred.
Row actions: icon button (three dots) that opens a dropdown.

5. Status Indicators

Badge Styles

<!-- Success / Active -->
<span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs
  font-medium bg-emerald-50 text-emerald-700">
  <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-emerald-500"></span>Active
</span>

<!-- Warning / Pending -->
<span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs
  font-medium bg-amber-50 text-amber-700">
  <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-amber-500"></span>Pending
</span>

<!-- Error / Failed -->
<span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs
  font-medium bg-red-50 text-red-700">
  <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-red-500"></span>Failed
</span>

<!-- Neutral / Draft -->
<span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 px-2.5 py-0.5 rounded-full text-xs
  font-medium bg-gray-100 text-gray-600">
  <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-gray-400"></span>Draft
</span>

Progress Bars

<div class="w-full bg-gray-100 rounded-full h-2">
  <div class="bg-indigo-600 h-2 rounded-full transition-all duration-500"
    style="width: 65%"></div>
</div>

6. Dark Mode Dashboard

Monitoring and ops dashboards are often used in dark mode. Use the surface, text, and border tokens from the dark-mode skill's Complete Token System (--bg-base / --bg-surface / --bg-elevated, --text-*, --border) — don't define a second set here.

Dashboard-Specific Rules

Elevation is shown through lighter surfaces, not shadows.
Reduce chart color saturation by ~15% and raise lightness so series still hit 3:1 on the dark surface.
Use semi-transparent borders (oklch(100% 0 0 / 0.08)).
Active sidebar item: lighter background, not colored.

7. Real-Time Data Indicators

Live Pulse Dot

<span class="relative flex h-2.5 w-2.5" aria-hidden="true">
  <span class="motion-safe:animate-ping absolute inline-flex h-full w-full rounded-full
    bg-emerald-400 opacity-75"></span>
  <span class="relative inline-flex rounded-full h-2.5 w-2.5 bg-emerald-500"></span>
</span>

Last Updated Timestamp

<span class="text-xs text-gray-500 flex items-center gap-1.5" role="status">
  <span class="w-1.5 h-1.5 rounded-full bg-emerald-500" aria-hidden="true"></span>
  Live — Updated 3s ago
</span>

Auto-Refresh Pattern

Show a subtle countdown or progress bar before refresh.
Animate changed values (flash green for increase, red for decrease).
Never refresh the entire page — update individual data points.
Don't put fast-changing numbers in an aria-live region (it floods screen readers); announce only meaningful events (e.g. "3 new orders").

8. Dense Information Without Clutter

Techniques

Progressive disclosure: Show summary, expand for details.
Tabbed sections: Don't show everything at once.
Collapsible panels: Let users hide what they don't need.
Tooltips for extra context, not essential labels: they must also open on keyboard focus and tap.
Consistent spacing: Use the 4px-base scale from ui-design (4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64).
Smaller base font: Dashboard body text can be 13–14px (never below 12px).
Tabular figures for data: Numbers in tables and KPIs use tabular-nums so digits align.

.data-table td {
  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums; /* Tailwind: tabular-nums */
}

9. Responsive Dashboard Layouts

Breakpoint Strategy

Mobile (< 768px): Single column. Cards stack. Tables become card lists. Sidebar hidden.
Tablet (768–1024px): 2-column grid. Sidebar collapsed to icons. Simplified charts.
Desktop (1024px+): Full layout. Sidebar expanded. Multi-column grids.
Wide (1536px+): Add an extra column rather than stretching; cap text-heavy content at ~1440px (max-w-screen-2xl or similar).

Mobile Table Alternative

Below md (768px), hide the table (hidden md:block on its wrapper) and render each row as a card:

<!-- Mobile only: one card per row, label-value pairs -->
<dl class="md:hidden bg-white rounded-xl border border-gray-200 p-4 space-y-2 text-sm">
  <div class="flex justify-between">
    <dt class="text-gray-500">Customer</dt>
    <dd class="font-medium text-gray-900">Jane Cooper</dd>
  </div>
  <div class="flex justify-between">
    <dt class="text-gray-500">Status</dt>
    <dd><span class="bg-emerald-50 text-emerald-700 text-xs px-2 py-0.5 rounded-full">Active</span></dd>
  </div>
  <div class="flex justify-between">
    <dt class="text-gray-500">Amount</dt>
    <dd class="font-medium text-gray-900">$2,500.00</dd>
  </div>
</dl>

Verify: Render and Check

Don't hand over code you haven't looked at. After generating it:

Screenshot it at mobile and desktop widths, e.g. npx playwright screenshot --full-page --viewport-size=390,844 file://$PWD/index.html mobile.png, then again with --viewport-size=1440,900 (or point at the dev server URL).
Open both images and check: no horizontal scroll or clipped/overlapping text, hierarchy reads at a glance, brand tokens are applied, images load at the right aspect ratio.
Tab through once: every interactive element gets a visible focus ring, in a logical order.
Also screenshot at 768px: sidebar collapses, tables scroll or become cards, charts resize instead of overflowing. Check the dark theme if you built one.
Fix what you find and re-screenshot before reporting done.