custom user control - design view properties?

So I have a "work around" until someone tells me that there's another way to do it...
I basically have my class written that way:
public partial class Function : TabPage//UserControl//
When I want to design the control, I switch it to:
public partial class Function : UserControl//TabPage//
That way I can run it without error and with a quick spin of wand, I can also have control of the layout in the design view...

Well, I did create it as a user control. It extends TabPage...
I have a designer view, but the controls on there (so inside my user control) are tiny...
I can't show you with a screenshot (too bad!) but I have two things on there, a text box and a button. The text box is small and has written in it "ab" and the name of the text box is right next to it. Same thing with the button.
So I guess it is a custom control, but isn't there a way to see with the same formats the controls in there as in my main form?
I am questioning now the whole direction that I took for my app.
To simplify things, let me summarize. I need to be able to dynamically display an "area" that always has the same controls in it. I wanted to use the cool TabControl control on my main form so I created  a custom control that inherits TabPage. So each time I click on that option in the menu, a new Tab appears with the appropriate controls on it. Is that a good move? How else could I have done this?

Thanks!
Emmi

It sounds like you have a custom control rather than a user control; if it were a user control (with a design surface) you would see the control both from the designer as well as after dropping it onto a form.  Also, if it is a custom control rather than a user control, does it extend an existing control.  For example:

public class CaseCombo : ComboBox

Declaring a custom control like this will make the control visible on the form at design time.