Empty state design is often skipped
Most dashboards look great with data. Design every empty state — zero items, zero data, first-use screens — before handoff or they will be deprioritised in development.
Navigation scales badly without planning
A dashboard that works with five features rarely works with fifteen. Validate your sidebar, tabs, and nested navigation structure early with real feature counts.
Onboarding drop-off happens in the first session
If users do not reach the activation moment in their first session, most will not return. Prototype and test the onboarding flow before everything else.