Add Custom Symbols to your Dropdowns

Customise your Smartsheet by adding personalised symbols and emojis to add greater creativity to your Smartsheet projects

We often get asked by clients if they can have more than the four colours for their project status reporting, risks or issues, as they are not content with x4 (red, yellow, green, blue/grey) in the symbols dropdown.

While it can add a bit more complexity to your metrics, you can absolutely do this by creating your own symbols list as a dropdown. So we thought we’d show you how, as well as letting you have some fun with our emoji sheets.

If you want to download any of the emoji sheets, please use the following links and complete the form with your email address and they will be automagically sent to you (via the power of Smartsheet, of course!). 

 

A Step-by-Step Guide

Add customisable emojis and symbols to your Smartsheet for greater creative freedom in your projects.

1. Creating a Custom Symbols Sheet 

On your screen, you’ll observe a sheet featuring symbols like colour balls and squares—emojis that you can download and integrate. This sheet’s purpose is to showcase various icons and assign descriptions to them. By setting up an index match, or a lookup, you can easily retrieve these descriptions.

2. Dropdown Customisation

Within your Smartsheet, create a dropdown with a variety of colours and items listed. Select from these to visually represent project elements—like a purple ball demonstrating a particular detail.

3. Solving for Symbol Shortages

Facing a lack of suitable symbols? No worries! Take the list of symbols within Smartsheet, copy them, and incorporate them into your dropdown menu. From standard symbols to the addition of the much-coveted blue and gray, it’s all about personalisation.

4. Templates and Emoji Fun

To further enhance your sheets, you can download templates provided—with a simple registration, get access to symbol sheets ready for use. These templates include a wide array of emojis—optimising your charts and dashboards with fun and flair.

5. Visual Metrics and Dashboards

Observe as your metrics update real-time when you edit or add new symbols. Save these changes and watch them reflect beautifully on your dashboard. Utilise different charts to display data—from column to doughnut charts (though keep in mind, some colour resetting may be required).

Solution Overview

What you’ll need

Core Smartsheet

Complexity

Low

What’s Included

  • Symbols
  • Emoji
  • Flags emoji
  • Hand gestures

Solution Overview

What you’ll need

Core Smartsheet

Complexity

Low

What’s Included

  • Symbols
  • Emoji
  • Flags emoji
  • Hand gestures

Want to find out more?

Use the link below to get in touch or book a meeting with one of our team.

Rich Coles

Founder &
Managing Director

Suzie Alloway

Head of Project & Programme Management

Get in Touch
Sebastian Saffirio
LinkedIn

More Resources from Prodactive

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Booking Slot Solution

Solution Overview

Customise your Smartsheet sheets with our emoji sets

Useful Links

Download for free along with our guidance notes:

(Please note you need to be logged into Smartsheet to access the form)

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Case Study

Implementing a Common Execution Platform

Demo Asset

Multi-Project Reminders

Add Custom Symbols to your Dropdowns

Customise your Smartsheet by adding personalised symbols and emojis to add greater creativity to your Smartsheet projects

We often get asked by clients if they can have more than the four colours for their project status reporting, risks or issues, as they are not content with x4 (red, yellow, green, blue/grey) in the symbols dropdown.

While it can add a bit more complexity to your metrics, you can absolutely do this by creating your own symbols list as a dropdown. So we thought we’d show you how, as well as letting you have some fun with our emoji sheets.

If you want to download any of the emoji sheets, please use the following links and complete the form with your email address and they will be automagically sent to you (via the power of Smartsheet, of course!). 

 

Open in Smartsheet
Sebastian Saffirio
LinkedIn

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What They Say

I reached out to Prodactive to fix a broken PowerBI dashboard. Nicole Codispoti worked with me to understand the underlying issues and our requirements. She explained what wasn’t working and offered a solution that would create a more user-friendly dashboard in the short term. Nicole is a clear expert on PowerBI and rebuilt our dashboard quickly and efficiently. She made everything she worked on just a little bit better without being asked. That kind of proactivity is difficult to come by and greatly appreciated. Nicole also went out of her way to deliver our product on a tight deadline despite a busy travel schedule. We really appreciate Prodactive’s quick turnaround, and we will be reaching out to them about creating an even better long-term solution.
Elizabeth SkepsSecurity Director, Latin America, Warner Bros. Discovery
Elizabeth Skeps
I really enjoyed working with Prodactive on this solution. Their PPM expertise was evident from the start and they showed great flexibility in adapting their standard solution to support the unique aspects of what we do, without compromising on good project management practice
Shaf ChaturBusiness Process Manager, Elements Green
Shaf Chatur
Prodactive has been a valuable partner in helping us get more from our Smartsheet setup. Their expertise has saved us time and helped us find better ways to work, and they’ve been a great sounding board for ideas along the way. The fact that they’re local has made collaboration even easier when face-to-face time has been helpful. Overall, they’ve been flexible, knowledgeable, and easy to work with – we’d happily recommend them.
Liam NicholsonSystems & Projects Director, Huel
Liam Nicholson
Thanks to Prodactive and Smartsheet, projects have never been more organised. Our scientists can look at time plans and spot dependencies across departments, enabling them to plan and allocate resources more efficiently.
Gundeep Singh & Inês BarbosaHead of Project Management & Head of Portfolio Management, RxCelerate
Gundeep Singh & Inês Barbosa
Rich Coles supported us not just as an implementation partner but also as a consultant, an advisor in driving us through the capability of the tool offering solutions with best practices.
Anupreet MalhotraIT Program Director, Acuity
Anupreet Malhotra
Not only do you get a Smartsheet wizard that is able to turn ideas into sound solutions, but you get a strategic partner that challenges you with over 25 years of PPM and Pharma experiences
Abdullah AlmiqsabiSenior Manager, Corporate Planning, Genmab
Abdullah Almiqsabi
I consider myself to be an advanced Smartsheet user but after only two hours with Rich, I already felt I had my money's worth for Prodactive’s 10 hour support package.
David WattsDivisional SHEQ Manager, Epwin Group
David Watts
Phil and the Prodactive team optimised Smartsheet Control Centre for our joinery jobs, enhancing efficiency and visibility. Their dedication and responsiveness ensured a customised solution aligned with our business needs.
Chloe March BrownOperations Manager, Forest Joinery
Chloe March Brown
Working with Rich and Prodactive was a pleasure and I would highly recommend his services to anyone interested in utilising the Smartsheet platform
Greg BaileyManagement Accountant, Logistica
Greg Bailey
[Prodactive was] very flexible with our requirements and quick to respond with changes and user feedback. Smartsheet is a game changer for efficiency and work transparency.
Angela LekkouSenior Project Manager, Sani/Ikos
Angela Lekkou
Gong cha has Master Franchisees around the world and this has really helped me to streamline my processes, save so much time for everyone involved and provide instant updates 24/7
Ahmet BaristiranFormerly Global Transformation Director, Gong Cha
Ahmet Baristiran
The solution Prodactive has built for us is a total game-changer. We engaged with them for their PPM expertise and their template set has given us a consistent framework with which to manage our projects
Oliver HolmesOperations Director, Bernard Interiors
Oliver Holmes
Prodactive were happy to build the solution piece-by-piece and were able to adapt it on the fly as new ideas surfaced. They were also willing to subject it to the exacting level of scrutiny that our own clients put on us
Paul FitzgeraldManaging Director & Founder, Hawksmoor Construction
Paul Fitzgerald
I highly recommend Prodactive to develop your Smartsheet workspace. Rich is incredibly knowledgeable with Smartsheet, Processes, Systems and Project Management
Steve GriesselGroup Chief Executive Officer, Paramount
Steve Griessel
Smartsheet introduced us to Prodactive when we were looking for support with our implementation of Control Center. As a joinery business, each project we engage in requires the design, manufacture, delivery and installation of many items, and Prodactive were quick to understand that this would require a different approach to conventional project scheduling. They built a solution from the ground up that gives us a clear view of the stage each item is at, as well as a broader view of each project as a whole. We are grateful for the support they provided and are now looking for them to extend this solution to give us even greater visibility and control over the manufacturing process.
Paddy O’LoughlinOperations Director, GEM Joinery
Paddy O’Loughlin
When rapid growth pushed our project systems past their limits, we needed expert help fast. After discovering Rich's videos online, I reached out to Prodactive. Rich and his team quickly understood our challenges and delivered tailored Smartsheet solutions that gave us the robust project management framework we needed to scale. The results were immediate; we delivered our critical project on time, which I'm confident wouldn't have happened without their intervention. We're now working with Prodactive to build out our complete operational playbook in Smartsheet. If you're outgrowing your PM systems and need proven expertise to scale effectively, I highly recommend Rich and the Prodactive team.
Lukeman ColeChief Transformation Officer & Founder, Transformious Inc.
Lukeman Cole
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Lukeman Cole
Chief Transformation Officer & Founder, Transformious Inc.
Smartsheet introduced us to Prodactive for our Control Center implementation. As a joinery business, each project requires a unique approach. Prodactive built a custom solution providing clear views of item stages and overall project status. We're grateful for their support and look forward to extending this solution for greater visibility and control.
Paddy O’Loughlin
Operations Director, GEM Joinery
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