diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel.js
index 07aad05710086..38e08660a7fb7 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel.js
@@ -61,14 +61,17 @@ function Panel(id, type, panelId) {
   this.type = type;
 }
 
-/**
- * Factory function to create a panel object.
- *
- * @param id {string} - The id of the visualization this panel contains
- * @param type {string} - The type of visualization this panel contains
- * @param panelId {number} - A unique identifier for this panel in the grid
- * @returns {Panel}
- */
-export function createNewPanel(id, type, panelId) {
-  return new Panel(id, type, panelId);
+
+export class PanelFactory {
+  /**
+   * Factory function to create a panel object.
+   *
+   * @param id {string} - The id of the visualization this panel contains
+   * @param type {string} - The type of visualization this panel contains
+   * @param panelId {number} - A unique identifier for this panel in the grid
+   * @returns {Panel}
+   */
+   static create(id, type, panelId) {
+     return new Panel(id, type, panelId);
+   }
 }
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/directives/grid.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/directives/grid.js
index 42c6296bc2130..eef9f69b89d25 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/directives/grid.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/directives/grid.js
@@ -40,6 +40,12 @@ app.directive('dashboardGrid', function ($compile, Notifier) {
         });
       };
 
+      /**
+       * Removes the panel with the given id from the $scope.state.panels array. Does not
+       * remove the ui element from gridster - that is triggered by a watcher that is
+       * triggered on changes made to $scope.state.panels.
+       * @param panelId {number}
+       */
       $scope.getPanelByPanelId = (panelId) => {
         return _.find($scope.state.panels, function (panel) {
           return panel.panelId === panelId;
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/index.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/index.js
index 5a1eb82559f15..08a6cab3de0da 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/index.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/dashboard/index.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import uiRoutes from 'ui/routes';
 import uiModules from 'ui/modules';
 import indexTemplate from 'plugins/kibana/dashboard/index.html';
 import { savedDashboardRegister } from 'plugins/kibana/dashboard/services/saved_dashboard_register';
-import { createNewPanel } from 'plugins/kibana/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel';
+import { PanelFactory } from 'plugins/kibana/dashboard/components/panel/lib/panel';
 require('ui/saved_objects/saved_object_registry').register(savedDashboardRegister);
 
 const app = uiModules.get('app/dashboard', [
@@ -272,12 +272,12 @@ app.directive('dashboardApp', function (Notifier, courier, AppState, timefilter,
       // called by the saved-object-finder when a user clicks a vis
       $scope.addVis = function (hit) {
         pendingVis++;
-        $state.panels.push(createNewPanel(hit.id, 'visualization', getMaxPanelId()));
+        $state.panels.push(PanelFactory.create(hit.id, 'visualization', getMaxPanelId()));
       };
 
       $scope.addSearch = function (hit) {
         pendingVis++;
-        $state.panels.push(createNewPanel(hit.id, 'search', getMaxPanelId()));
+        $state.panels.push(PanelFactory.create(hit.id, 'search', getMaxPanelId()));
       };
 
       // Setup configurable values for config directive, after objects are initialized