The text outlines the process of creating a custom dashboard using n8n, Smashing, and Docker to compile and display data from various online sources like GitHub, Docker, npm, and Product Hunt. The author describes the frustration of manually checking numerous websites for updates, which led to the idea of centralizing information through a dashboard that updates automatically every minute. By leveraging n8n's ability to query APIs, the setup retrieves, processes, and formats data, which is then displayed on Smashing's dashboard widgets. The project involves configuring workflows in n8n, setting up Docker for dashboard hosting, and managing API credentials, allowing users to monitor specific projects or services and customize the setup to suit their needs. The text also highlights the importance of a global configuration node for managing variables and suggests potential applications like stock price charting and weather display.