We’ve spent a decade selling clients on these "Command Centers", you know the ones. Endless grids of tiny bar charts, 15 different notification badges, and sidebars that look like a cockpit from a 747. We told ourselves that more data meant more value. But let’s be real... when was the last time you actually enjoyed looking at a SaaS dashboard?
Usually, it’s just a digital junk drawer. You log in, squint at a graph, and try to figure out if you're actually having a good day or if something is on fire.
At Blott, we’re starting to realise that the traditional dashboard is finally growing up. It’s moving away from being a static wall of charts and becoming something much more... alive. And honestly? Good riddance. With AI actually getting smart enough to do the heavy lifting, we don’t need to browse through data anymore. We just want to get things done.
So, what happens when the grid goes away?
It’s a bit scary for us designers. We’re used to filling space. But the future isn't about "more." It's about "just enough." We’ve been thinking a lot about how we can make this shift feel human, not like some cold, automated machine, but like a tool that actually has your back.
Here’s how we’re approaching it lately:
1. Stop building libraries, start building "Smoke Detectors"
If your house isn't on fire, your smoke detector stays quiet. Your UI should be the same. If everything is running smoothly, why am I looking at twenty green charts?
- The trick: Try to summarise the whole day in one sentence. Like, "Everything's fine, but your LinkedIn ads are killing it today." That’s it. That’s the "dashboard." If they want the nerdy details, they can click in, but don’t force-feed them the whole buffet when they just wanted a snack.
2. Put the "Fix It" button right where the problem is
Ever notice how most apps make you find a problem on one page, then hunt for the solution on another? It’s exhausting.
- The fix: If the AI tells you a project is running late, the "Reschedule" button should be right there in the message. Don’t make them go to the Calendar page. It sounds simple, but it changes everything. It’s about shortening the distance between "Oh no" and "Fixed it."
3. The "Wait, how did you get that?" factor
We’ve all been there - an AI tells you something and you’re just like... “Are you sure?” If a tool feels too "magical" or "black box," people get suspicious. And rightfully so.
- The fix: We like to add what we call a "Trust Buffer." Just a tiny little link or icon that lets the user peek under the hood. "Show your work," like your math teacher used to say. When people can see the logic, they stop worrying and start working.
4. Design for the "Blank Page"
This one is the hardest for designers to digest. We love our menus. But maybe... the best interface is just a search bar? Or a prompt?
- The fix: Let the user tell you what they need. If they type "Who’s my best customer?", don't take them to a CRM list. Just build the table they asked for, right there. Then let it disappear when they're done. It’s about being "just-in-time," not "just-in-case."
We used to be afraid of white space. We thought a "full" screen meant a "useful" screen. But I think the real luxury in design today is silence.
At Blott, we’re trying to build things that respect people’s time. We want to build "Intentional Interfaces", tools that only speak when they have something useful to say. Because at the end of the day, no one wakes up wishing they could spend more time inside a SaaS dashboard. They want to finish their work and go outside.
Let's design for that instead.
