In this video, Brian Knight from Pragmatic Works demonstrates how users can simplify Power Apps development by using the free Pragmatic Works UI Component Library. The goal of the library is to help developers and app builders create cleaner, more professional applications while reducing the time needed to build common user interface elements from scratch.
Brian explains that getting started with Power Apps can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for newer users who want to create polished applications quickly. To solve this, Pragmatic Works created a free set of reusable UI components that can be installed into a Power Apps environment. These components provide a faster starting point and improve consistency across applications.
Brian introduces the component library as a collection of prebuilt Power Apps UI elements designed to make app creation easier and more efficient. Instead of repeatedly building standard interface pieces manually, users can import and reuse components that are already prepared and customizable.
The library currently includes around seven components, with more being added over time. Brian also mentions that Pragmatic Works provides a reference application to help users better understand how the components work in real scenarios.
Brian begins by walking through the installation process. After downloading the provided solution file, users must go to the Power Apps environment where they want to use the components and import the solution. He notes that the import process can take about four to five minutes.
Once the solution is installed, the components become available for use inside new or existing applications. Brian creates a fresh app to demonstrate how quickly the library can improve the development experience.
After opening a new Power App, Brian shows how to access the library through the Get More Components option. From there, users can import all the available components into the app and begin dragging and dropping them onto screens.
He explains that these components are especially useful for establishing the basic framework of an application, giving developers a head start before they even begin adding business logic or data connections.
Brian highlights several useful components included in the free library. These examples show how the library can speed up app creation and create a more polished user experience:
One of the more practical parts of the video is Brian’s walkthrough of creating a menu structure using a collection. He shows how developers can define menu items in the app’s OnStart property using ClearCollect. This allows the side menu and landing page menu to be driven by the same reusable data source.
Brian explains that each menu item can include:
This setup allows developers to build dynamic navigation and even make it role-based. For example, an admin user could see extra items in the menu depending on their permissions.
Brian also demonstrates how the tab component can be used to organize forms and content into cleaner sections. Instead of placing too many fields on one screen, developers can separate content into tab-based areas and use the selected tab value to control which forms are visible.
This technique improves readability and makes complex applications easier for users to navigate. It also gives developers a more structured way to design screens without overcrowding them.
Brian points out that component order matters. When using elements like the side menu and header, developers should make sure those components are moved to the front in the layer order. Otherwise, forms or other controls may appear on top of them and affect usability.
This small detail helps ensure that menus, overlays, and navigation controls behave correctly inside the app.
Brian emphasizes that reusable components save time, improve consistency, and reduce repetitive work across projects. Instead of rebuilding common interface pieces during every engagement or hackathon, teams can rely on the same components over and over again.
He also explains that because these are reusable pieces of code, updates to the components can optionally flow into multiple applications. However, he gives an important warning: if users directly modify the unmanaged solution provided by Pragmatic Works, future releases may overwrite those changes. Because of that, extending the solution separately may be the safer long-term approach.
In this video, Brian Knight shows how the free Pragmatic Works UI Component Library can help Power Apps users build applications faster and with better design consistency. By offering prebuilt components such as headers, menus, tabs, loaders, and other interface elements, the library reduces setup time and helps developers focus more on business logic and user needs.
For anyone looking to accelerate Power Apps development while improving application quality, this free component library provides a practical and valuable starting point.
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