How to create a dashboard in Notion
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 9:21 am
Notion has become an important productivity tool. 35 million users worldwide use it to manage content, track their habits or keep a diary.
In this guide, we'll explore how to create a functional board in Notion to manage everything from daily tasks to long-term goals.
However, it is essential to understand Notion's limits in terms of advanced project management and performance optimization, and to consider alternative platforms that might better suit your specific needs.
For those looking for a more robust solution, we'll also explore ClickUp as an alternative that offers a wider range of tools for teams and individuals, including time tracking, Gantt charts, and customizable workflows.
But first, let's build a customizable dashboard in Notion.
Step-by-step guide to creating a dashboard in Notion
Creating an aesthetic board in Notion is like building the workspace of your dreams. Here's how to get started.
Step 1: Set up a new page
When you start using a Notion workspace, you'll feel like you've opened a brand new notebook, full of possibilities and ready to be filled with ideas. Naming your Notion page is the first step to making it your own. Here's how to set it up:
Open Notion and go to the left sidebar
Click on "New Page" . You can find this option at the bottom or within a specific workspace
Give your page a name bosnia and herzegovina number data that reflects its purpose, such as “Project Dashboard” or “Personal Hub”
Bonus: Use these project dashboard examples for inspiration before creating your first project management dashboard
Step 2: Add a table or dashboard view
Now, let's add some structure to your Notion dashboard. A Table or Board view can serve as the backbone of your custom Notion dashboard:
Type "/database"
**Tables are great for adding detailed data, while boards (similar to Kanban boards) are perfect for visualizing tasks and tracking progress.
Database in the Notion panel
The magic is in the customization. Here's how you can adjust your Board or Dashboard to fit your exact needs:
Add columns: Click the "+" icon to add new columns. Typical columns are: task, due date, status, and assigned to.
Set Properties: In Notion, each column can have different properties. For example, the Due Date column can have date properties, while the Status column can have selection properties for different statuses like 'In Progress' or 'Completed'
Apply filters: You can use filters to display only the information you need. For example, you can filter tasks to show only those assigned to you or those due this week.
This step may be the most time-consuming and push your creativity to the limit, but it's crucial. Don't skip it. Every customization will improve the functionality of your Notion panel and ensure it's perfectly aligned with your workflow.
A dashboard isn't complete without some useful widgets, right? Here's a look at the widgets and tools you can embed in your Notion dashboard:
Calendars: You can use the calendar widget to keep track of important dates and deadlines. This will help you keep track of deadlines visually, reducing the risk of missing important dates.
Charts: It's a good idea to embed charts to visualize your data. This is especially useful for tracking progress and performance.
Progress Bars: You can use progress bars to track the completion of tasks or projects. It's a real pleasure to see your progress at the end of the day when those progress bars fill up and show you how far you've come on your tasks and projects.
To embed a widget:
The final step is to organize and style your Notion dashboard template so that it is visually appealing and easy to navigate:
Drag and Drop: Arrange blocks by dragging and dropping them into place. You can create columns by dragging blocks next to each other.
Style: Use Notion's styling options to change fonts, colors, and background images. You can create a theme that makes your Notion dashboard aesthetically pleasing. You can also choose from the many Notion dashboard templates available online.
Pro tip: Color-code different sections of your personal Notion dashboard. It's a small detail, but it makes navigating through your tasks much faster. Studies have shown that color-coding can improve cognitive processing and recall, making it easier for the brain to effectively organize and retrieve information.
Styling the Notion panel
via Notion
Limitations of using Notion to create dashboards
Notion is a fantastic tool, but it's not without its quirks. Here are some limitations you may encounter when creating your dashboard:
Limited advanced analytics capabilities: The built-in analytics tools in Notion are pretty basic. If you need in-depth data analysis, you may need to integrate it with external applications.
Reliance on manual updates: You will need to update all data manually, which can be time-consuming, especially for larger project dashboards
Limited integration with other tools: While Notion dashboards offer some integrations, they are not as extensive as you might need. This can be a hindrance if you rely heavily on other platforms.
In this guide, we'll explore how to create a functional board in Notion to manage everything from daily tasks to long-term goals.
However, it is essential to understand Notion's limits in terms of advanced project management and performance optimization, and to consider alternative platforms that might better suit your specific needs.
For those looking for a more robust solution, we'll also explore ClickUp as an alternative that offers a wider range of tools for teams and individuals, including time tracking, Gantt charts, and customizable workflows.
But first, let's build a customizable dashboard in Notion.
Step-by-step guide to creating a dashboard in Notion
Creating an aesthetic board in Notion is like building the workspace of your dreams. Here's how to get started.
Step 1: Set up a new page
When you start using a Notion workspace, you'll feel like you've opened a brand new notebook, full of possibilities and ready to be filled with ideas. Naming your Notion page is the first step to making it your own. Here's how to set it up:
Open Notion and go to the left sidebar
Click on "New Page" . You can find this option at the bottom or within a specific workspace
Give your page a name bosnia and herzegovina number data that reflects its purpose, such as “Project Dashboard” or “Personal Hub”
Bonus: Use these project dashboard examples for inspiration before creating your first project management dashboard
Step 2: Add a table or dashboard view
Now, let's add some structure to your Notion dashboard. A Table or Board view can serve as the backbone of your custom Notion dashboard:
Type "/database"
**Tables are great for adding detailed data, while boards (similar to Kanban boards) are perfect for visualizing tasks and tracking progress.
Database in the Notion panel
The magic is in the customization. Here's how you can adjust your Board or Dashboard to fit your exact needs:
Add columns: Click the "+" icon to add new columns. Typical columns are: task, due date, status, and assigned to.
Set Properties: In Notion, each column can have different properties. For example, the Due Date column can have date properties, while the Status column can have selection properties for different statuses like 'In Progress' or 'Completed'
Apply filters: You can use filters to display only the information you need. For example, you can filter tasks to show only those assigned to you or those due this week.
This step may be the most time-consuming and push your creativity to the limit, but it's crucial. Don't skip it. Every customization will improve the functionality of your Notion panel and ensure it's perfectly aligned with your workflow.
A dashboard isn't complete without some useful widgets, right? Here's a look at the widgets and tools you can embed in your Notion dashboard:
Calendars: You can use the calendar widget to keep track of important dates and deadlines. This will help you keep track of deadlines visually, reducing the risk of missing important dates.
Charts: It's a good idea to embed charts to visualize your data. This is especially useful for tracking progress and performance.
Progress Bars: You can use progress bars to track the completion of tasks or projects. It's a real pleasure to see your progress at the end of the day when those progress bars fill up and show you how far you've come on your tasks and projects.
To embed a widget:
The final step is to organize and style your Notion dashboard template so that it is visually appealing and easy to navigate:
Drag and Drop: Arrange blocks by dragging and dropping them into place. You can create columns by dragging blocks next to each other.
Style: Use Notion's styling options to change fonts, colors, and background images. You can create a theme that makes your Notion dashboard aesthetically pleasing. You can also choose from the many Notion dashboard templates available online.
Pro tip: Color-code different sections of your personal Notion dashboard. It's a small detail, but it makes navigating through your tasks much faster. Studies have shown that color-coding can improve cognitive processing and recall, making it easier for the brain to effectively organize and retrieve information.
Styling the Notion panel
via Notion
Limitations of using Notion to create dashboards
Notion is a fantastic tool, but it's not without its quirks. Here are some limitations you may encounter when creating your dashboard:
Limited advanced analytics capabilities: The built-in analytics tools in Notion are pretty basic. If you need in-depth data analysis, you may need to integrate it with external applications.
Reliance on manual updates: You will need to update all data manually, which can be time-consuming, especially for larger project dashboards
Limited integration with other tools: While Notion dashboards offer some integrations, they are not as extensive as you might need. This can be a hindrance if you rely heavily on other platforms.