# Creating a Dashboard

## What are Dashboards?

Dashboards, also known as projects, allow you to focus on the management and scheduling part of the design process so that everyone is aware of a project's scope, progress and status. You can create a budget, Product List (furniture schedule), and mark milestones all in one place within the Canvas to make sure your project stays on track. **Adding a Dashboard** within your Canvas also allows you to track your embodied carbon. With Dashboards, you can easily organize and manage a project's scope of work - all in one place. 

### Why use Dashboards?

Add a Dashboard into your Canvas in order to capture and easily present the following information:

* The Project's Name
* Furniture Specification (Product Lists)
  * Lists are customizable and filterable
* Address information with a live Google Maps view of your project's location
* Gross Area sq ft
* Plannable Area sq ft
* Total Budget - with a Discount percentage and a Markup percentage
  * You can edit pricing per item by adding in custom discounting and a markup to show net discounting
  * You can decide to show or hide the project subtotal price
* Carbon Estimate
* The percentage of second-life items you are designing with
* Cost per Square Foot
* Milestone Dates in a timeline format

## How to add a Dashboard: 

On the toolbar, click **`Add a Dashboard`** to then place one inside the **Canvas** you are working on. The Dashboard reads the entire Canvas initially, but don't worry - you are able to filter and manipulate what you want it to read. 

<figure><img src="https://2113117739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoXL90G447T7Arsje35d9%2Fuploads%2FHQtr5AMGsH0gYoMHx3y9%2FNew%20Toolbar%207.31%20-%20Dashboard.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1e8d945e-b427-4267-a136-dc524f4c06ec" alt=""><figcaption><p>The Dashboard icon in the toolbar</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://2113117739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoXL90G447T7Arsje35d9%2Fuploads%2FWKoESuhVcnvSYnE0lyWE%2FProjects.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=cb1a76b2-78ef-4de6-884c-c45c6f8a74db" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

1. Open or create a **Canvas**.
2. Start designing with **Products** library to [<mark style="color:purple;">**create a collage or vignette**</mark>](https://help.canoa.supply/docs/design/how-to-create-collages-and-vignettes-for-your-presentations) for a new project or client. (A.k.a. put some furniture into your Canvas for the Dashboard to capture and showcase).
3. Reference the top **Toolbar**, and click **Add a Dashboard.**
4. A grey rectangle will hover with your cursor. Place your Dashboard in your Canvas wherever you would like it to live. You can always move your Dashboard around the Canvas at a later time.

<figure><img src="https://2113117739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoXL90G447T7Arsje35d9%2Fuploads%2FxrAcPM4ammyxbucYSknr%2FScreenshot%202024-08-09%20at%2012.44.09%E2%80%AFPM.png?alt=media&#x26;token=38d9943b-5296-4af6-9573-4e45559719b9" alt=""><figcaption><p>When you first drop in a Dashboard into your Canvas, it will read every product in your Canvas.</p></figcaption></figure>

## What do to with your Dashboard:

Now it's time to edit and customize your dashboard with all your project details.&#x20;

* To **edit** the **Dashboard settings**, click on the **Gear icon** in the upper right hand corner of the Dashboard. A side panel window will pop-up on the right side of your screen to edit all the fields inside the Project.
  * Click on the **Arrows** to expand the editable fields, which are Address, Budget & Pricing, Square Footage, Milestones, and Column Settings.
  * While in the Dashboard settings, add **Milestone** dates that will then activate the Milestone widget at the bottom of your Dashboard. After you add a few milestones - like Kick Off Meeting, Order Ship Date, and Delivery & Install days - you can scroll horizontally on a timeline to compare those due dates to today.
* Outside of Dashboard settings, click on the **Filter** button and the different **product view icons** to further control what is included in the **Product List** portion of your Dashboard. The Product List is located on the left-side of your Dashboard and is interactive.
  * You can edit the List columns under **Column Settings** in the Dashboard settings side panel.
* Click the **Export Selection** button at the bottom of the Dashboard (when activated) to export your Dashboard.&#x20;
  * You can choose to export this work into a PDF, JPEG, or PNG.
  * If you select to export to a **.CSV file,** a product list, with all the products' data, will be emailed to you directly.

Read more about the Product List feature and how to customize it in depth here:

{% content-ref url="../how-to-create-a-product-list" %}
[how-to-create-a-product-list](https://help.canoa.supply/docs/design/how-to-create-a-product-list)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Resize your Dashboard by clicking the corners or dragging out the sides.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://2113117739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoXL90G447T7Arsje35d9%2Fuploads%2FfMiMJAkKXOthLtHsqrR8%2FDashboard%20new%20UI.png?alt=media&#x26;token=30ff8740-3a22-4626-a561-24705ff9b51d" alt=""><figcaption><p>Finding your way around a Project inside your Canvas.</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://2113117739-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FoXL90G447T7Arsje35d9%2Fuploads%2FU6U6iTgZVnSnLesQkuTy%2FProjects_Area%20and%20Budget.gif?alt=media&#x26;token=aa5217da-e4b6-4d34-b423-3d7f3f6f66a5" alt=""><figcaption><p>The widgets in the Project are interactive as you enter in the details.</p></figcaption></figure>

Continue reading the next articles to learn how to utilize **Areas** to better manipulate and further detail your Dashboard and Product List.

{% content-ref url="../how-to-draw-an-area" %}
[how-to-draw-an-area](https://help.canoa.supply/docs/design/how-to-draw-an-area)
{% endcontent-ref %}