Any insights for best practise to make app bottom navigation dynamic based on activity?

Question

I am working on this enterprise app, where user who he is an admin after first time login, performs some initial tasks. After completing these initial tasks, his primary role will be to look over the dashboard with data stats derived from these tasks and take actions on those. Also he can perform some additional tasks as well.

So, initially i am not showing dashboard/stats tab in bottom navigation as there will be no data to display and keeping it as first home tab won't make sense as user is busy in performing other tasks.

But after completion of tasks, he will be able to see the dashboard/stats tab, since some data might be available post completion of the tasks.

Is this the right approach? or should i always keep dashboard tab in bottom nav with empty state message until some data is available? Also if introducing dashboard at later stage, where should it be positioned?

Answer 1

You have actually 2 questions here:

1. Should I show the dashboard from the beginning?
2. Where should this live, and how prominent?

For question 1, if a dashboard is in an empty state to start, you have a chance to educate (or reiterate) to the admin user what tasks they need to complete for this view to be of value to their job. At the very least it declares the tasks they need to do.

You can even try a dismissible banner, outlining what they need to do, and what the rewards will be

If the dashboard 'just shows up', you'll need to educate them as to why this view has now taken a prime spot in the navigation, and what it might do.

Dashboard are often vital for enterprise (and Admins)

I don't know your full use case, but a dashboard is often an essential view. Admins often are completely overworked, and rely heavily on aggregate metrics, activity streams, a recent activity. All of these are often live on dashboards, where an Admin can get a quick view of what's happening.

Think of the trial user and enterprise sales as well

Another use case for Enterprise especially, is that an Admin may look into an app, to get a feel for the features. If your app is accessible to try, they won't see one of the key features: the ability to see what's important in one place. Don't make sales do the extra work to assure customers there's actually a dashboard.

Users make sense of an application by the places they can go, the order of those places, and the state of each place.

As for the 'Where should this live?', that's a function of how important this is:

• Will the users be checking this regularly? Often dashboards take a prime spot, as they are used for 'at a glance' use, allowing a quick check to see if things are going okay.