## Overview Create a unified Dashboards navigation entry point with an Explore menu that allows users to view analytics data at scale across multiple groups and projects without navigating to individual group or project dashboards. ## Problem Statement Currently, users must navigate to individual group or project dashboards to view analytics. This requires multiple clicks and context switching to compare data across different groups or projects. There's no single entry point for discovering and accessing all available analytics dashboards in GitLab. ## Solution Implement a new top-level Dashboards icon and Explore menu navigation item that provides: - Single point of entry for all analytics dashboards - Cross-group and cross-project filtering capabilities - Ability to view data at scale without navigating away - Streamlined discovery of available dashboards ## Changes Required ### 1. Navigation UI Implementation - Add new Dashboards icon to main navigation - Create Explore menu with dashboard discovery - Implement responsive design for all screen sizes - Ensure accessibility standards are met ### 2. Dashboard Discovery & Filtering - Display all available dashboards user has access to - Implement multi-select filtering for groups - Implement multi-select filtering for projects - Support filtering by dashboard type/category - Persist user filter preferences ### 3. Data Aggregation & Display - Support viewing aggregated data across selected groups/projects - Implement efficient data loading for large datasets - Add pagination/virtualization for performance - Support drill-down from aggregated view to specific group/project ### 4. User Experience - Provide clear visual hierarchy of dashboards - Show dashboard metadata (last updated, data freshness) - Include help/guidance for new users - Support bookmarking favorite dashboard views ### 5. Analytics Integration - Integrate with existing analytics dashboards - Support all current dashboard types (SDLC, DevOps, etc.) - Maintain backward compatibility with existing dashboard links - Track usage metrics for the new navigation ## Acceptance Criteria - [ ] Dashboards icon appears in main navigation - [ ] Explore menu is accessible and discoverable - [ ] Users can view dashboards from multiple groups simultaneously - [ ] Users can view dashboards from multiple projects simultaneously - [ ] Multi-group filtering works correctly - [ ] Multi-project filtering works correctly - [ ] Filter selections persist across sessions - [ ] Data loads efficiently for large selections - [ ] Drill-down from aggregated view to specific group/project works - [ ] All dashboard types are supported - [ ] Backward compatibility maintained with existing dashboard links - [ ] Accessibility standards are met (WCAG 2.1 AA) - [ ] Mobile/responsive design is functional - [ ] Usage metrics are tracked and available ## Benefits - **Improved UX**: Single entry point reduces navigation friction - **Better Analysis**: Cross-group/project comparison without context switching - **Scalability**: View data at scale without performance degradation - **Discovery**: Users can easily find and access all available dashboards - **Efficiency**: Reduces clicks needed to compare analytics across entities ## Related - Parent Epic: #20515 - Analytics & Data Exploration Platform - Master Planning Epic