diff --git a/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardEditController.php b/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardEditController.php
--- a/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardEditController.php
+++ b/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardEditController.php
@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@
 
       $is_new = false;
     } else {
+      if (!$request->getStr('edit')) {
+        if ($request->isFormPost()) {
+          switch ($request->getStr('template')) {
+            case 'empty':
+              break;
+            default:
+              return $this->processBuildTemplateRequest($request);
+          }
+        } else {
+          return $this->processTemplateRequest($request);
+        }
+      }
+
       $dashboard = PhabricatorDashboard::initializeNewDashboard($viewer);
 
       $is_new = true;
@@ -61,7 +74,7 @@
     $e_name = true;
 
     $validation_exception = null;
-    if ($request->isFormPost()) {
+    if ($request->isFormPost() && $request->getStr('edit')) {
       $v_name = $request->getStr('name');
       $v_layout_mode = $request->getStr('layout_mode');
       $v_view_policy = $request->getStr('viewPolicy');
@@ -116,6 +129,7 @@
       PhabricatorDashboardLayoutConfig::getLayoutModeSelectOptions();
     $form = id(new AphrontFormView())
       ->setUser($viewer)
+      ->addHiddenInput('edit', true)
       ->appendChild(
         id(new AphrontFormTextControl())
           ->setLabel(pht('Name'))
@@ -161,4 +175,172 @@
       ));
   }
 
+  private function processTemplateRequest(AphrontRequest $request) {
+    $viewer = $request->getUser();
+
+    $template_control = id(new AphrontFormRadioButtonControl())
+      ->setName(pht('template'))
+      ->setValue($request->getStr('template', 'empty'))
+      ->addButton(
+        'empty',
+        pht('Empty'),
+        pht('Start with a blank canvas.'))
+      ->addButton(
+        'simple',
+        pht('Simple Template'),
+        pht(
+          'Start with a simple dashboard with a welcome message, a feed of '.
+          'recent events, and a few starter panels.'));
+
+    $form = id(new AphrontFormView())
+      ->setUser($viewer)
+      ->appendRemarkupInstructions(
+        pht('Choose a dashboard template to start with.'))
+      ->appendChild($template_control);
+
+    return $this->newDialog()
+      ->setTitle(pht('Create Dashboard'))
+      ->setWidth(AphrontDialogView::WIDTH_FORM)
+      ->appendChild($form->buildLayoutView())
+      ->addCancelButton('/dashboard/')
+      ->addSubmitButton(pht('Continue'));
+  }
+
+  private function processBuildTemplateRequest(AphrontRequest $request) {
+    $viewer = $request->getUser();
+    $template = $request->getStr('template');
+
+    $bare_panel = PhabricatorDashboardPanel::initializeNewPanel($viewer);
+    $panel_phids = array();
+
+    switch ($template) {
+      case 'simple':
+        $v_name = pht('New Simple Dashboard');
+
+        $welcome_panel = $this->newPanel(
+          $request,
+          $viewer,
+          'text',
+          pht('Welcome'),
+          array(
+            'text' => pht(
+              "This is a simple template dashboard. You can edit this panel ".
+              "to change this text and replace it with a welcome message, or ".
+              "leave this placeholder text as-is to give your dashboard a ".
+              "rustic, authentic feel.".
+              "\n\n".
+              "You can drag, remove, add, and edit panels to customize the ".
+              "rest of this dashboard to show the information you want.".
+              "\n\n".
+              "To install this dashboard on the home page, use the ".
+              "**Install Dashboard** action link above."),
+          ));
+        $panel_phids[] = $welcome_panel->getPHID();
+
+        $feed_panel = $this->newPanel(
+          $request,
+          $viewer,
+          'query',
+          pht('Recent Activity'),
+          array(
+            'class' => 'PhabricatorFeedSearchEngine',
+            'key' => 'all',
+          ));
+        $panel_phids[] = $feed_panel->getPHID();
+
+        $task_panel = $this->newPanel(
+          $request,
+          $viewer,
+          'query',
+          pht('Recent Tasks'),
+          array(
+            'class' => 'ManiphestTaskSearchEngine',
+            'key' => 'all',
+          ));
+        $panel_phids[] = $task_panel->getPHID();
+
+        $commit_panel = $this->newPanel(
+          $request,
+          $viewer,
+          'query',
+          pht('Recent Commits'),
+          array(
+            'class' => 'PhabricatorCommitSearchEngine',
+            'key' => 'all',
+          ));
+        $panel_phids[] = $commit_panel->getPHID();
+
+        $mode_2_and_1 = PhabricatorDashboardLayoutConfig::MODE_THIRDS_AND_THIRD;
+        $layout = id(new PhabricatorDashboardLayoutConfig())
+          ->setLayoutMode($mode_2_and_1)
+          ->setPanelLocation(0, $welcome_panel->getPHID())
+          ->setPanelLocation(0, $task_panel->getPHID())
+          ->setPanelLocation(0, $commit_panel->getPHID())
+          ->setPanelLocation(1, $feed_panel->getPHID());
+
+        break;
+      default:
+        throw new Exception(pht('Unknown dashboard template %s!', $template));
+    }
+
+    // Create the dashboard.
+
+    $dashboard = PhabricatorDashboard::initializeNewDashboard($viewer)
+      ->setLayoutConfigFromObject($layout);
+
+    $xactions = array();
+
+    $xactions[] = id(new PhabricatorDashboardTransaction())
+      ->setTransactionType(PhabricatorDashboardTransaction::TYPE_NAME)
+      ->setNewValue($v_name);
+
+    $xactions[] = id(new PhabricatorDashboardTransaction())
+      ->setTransactionType(PhabricatorTransactions::TYPE_EDGE)
+      ->setMetadataValue(
+        'edge:type',
+        PhabricatorEdgeConfig::TYPE_DASHBOARD_HAS_PANEL)
+      ->setNewValue(
+        array(
+          '+' => array_fuse($panel_phids),
+        ));
+
+    $editor = id(new PhabricatorDashboardTransactionEditor())
+      ->setActor($viewer)
+      ->setContinueOnNoEffect(true)
+      ->setContentSourceFromRequest($request)
+      ->applyTransactions($dashboard, $xactions);
+
+    $manage_uri = $this->getApplicationURI('manage/'.$dashboard->getID().'/');
+
+    return id(new AphrontRedirectResponse())
+      ->setURI($manage_uri);
+  }
+
+  private function newPanel(
+    AphrontRequest $request,
+    PhabricatorUser $viewer,
+    $type,
+    $name,
+    array $properties) {
+
+    $panel = PhabricatorDashboardPanel::initializeNewPanel($viewer)
+      ->setPanelType($type)
+      ->setProperties($properties);
+
+    $xactions = array();
+
+    $xactions[] = id(new PhabricatorDashboardPanelTransaction())
+      ->setTransactionType(PhabricatorDashboardPanelTransaction::TYPE_NAME)
+      ->setNewValue($name);
+
+    $editor = id(new PhabricatorDashboardPanelTransactionEditor())
+      ->setActor($viewer)
+      ->setContinueOnNoEffect(true)
+      ->setContentSourceFromRequest($request)
+      ->applyTransactions($panel, $xactions);
+
+    return $panel;
+  }
+
+
 }
diff --git a/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardManageController.php b/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardManageController.php
--- a/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardManageController.php
+++ b/src/applications/dashboard/controller/PhabricatorDashboardManageController.php
@@ -103,6 +103,12 @@
 
     $actions->addAction(
       id(new PhabricatorActionView())
+        ->setName(pht('View Dashboard'))
+        ->setIcon('fa-columns')
+        ->setHref($this->getApplicationURI("view/{$id}/")));
+
+    $actions->addAction(
+      id(new PhabricatorActionView())
         ->setName(pht('Edit Dashboard'))
         ->setIcon('fa-pencil')
         ->setHref($this->getApplicationURI("edit/{$id}/"))