A computer-implemented method comprising: accessing an ontology that defines: a set of data object types; relationships among the data object types; properties associated with the data object types; and actions associated with the data object types; displaying an interactively-configurable layout of a dashboard user interface to an application creator user, wherein the interactively-configurable layout serves as a template for the dashboard user interface of a workflow application; adding an interactively-configurable component to the interactively-configurable layout, wherein the interactively-configurable component serves as a template for a component in the dashboard user interface of the workflow application, and wherein the interactively-configurable component is configured to automatically change configuration based on actions associated with data object types of data objects represented in the dashboard; generating the workflow application having the dashboard user interface and the component based on the interactively-configurable layout and the interactively-configurable component; displaying the dashboard user interface to a workflow user of the workflow application; in response to an input, via the dashboard user interface and by the workflow user, causing selection of a first data object and display of the first data object in the component: determining a first data object type of the first data object; accessing, from the ontology, a first action associated with the determined first data object type; and automatically configuring the component with a configuration that specifies performance of the first action associated with the determined first data object type. accessing an ontology that defines: a set of data object types; relationships among the data object types; properties associated with the data object types; and actions associated with the data object types; a set of data object types; relationships among the data object types; properties associated with the data object types; and actions associated with the data object types; displaying an interactively-configurable layout of a dashboard user interface to an application creator user, wherein the interactively-configurable layout serves as a template for the dashboard user interface of a workflow application; adding an interactively-configurable component to the interactively-configurable layout, wherein the interactively-configurable component serves as a template for a component in the dashboard user interface of the workflow application, and wherein the interactively-configurable component is configured to automatically change configuration based on actions associated with data object types of data objects represented in the dashboard; generating the workflow application having the dashboard user interface and the component based on the interactively-configurable layout and the interactively-configurable component; displaying the dashboard user interface to a workflow user of the workflow application; in response to an input, via the dashboard user interface and by the workflow user, causing selection of a first data object and display of the first data object in the component: determining a first data object type of the first data object; accessing, from the ontology, a first action associated with the determined first data object type; and automatically configuring the component with a configuration that specifies performance of the first action associated with the determined first data object type. determining a first data object type of the first data object; accessing, from the ontology, a first action associated with the determined first data object type; and automatically configuring the component with a configuration that specifies performance of the first action associated with the determined first data object type.