In this chapter, we explored many different ways of laying out the same applications. We looked at both static and Shiny-based interactive flexdashboards. Starting with the standard sidebar layout, we looked at adding icons and using the shinythemes package to quickly style a vanilla application. We explored the functionality of the shinydashboard package, which allows you to produce tabbed output sections; add in tasks, notifications, and messages for your users; show large friendly icons with key information on; and provide an attractive and professional-looking default appearance.
The key to making the most of the material in this chapter, as well as of Shiny generally, is to remember that you can combine the tools that Shiny gives you in a lot of different ways, depending on your needs and your skill set. There's nothing to stop you from using the shinydashboard...