Make the Point for Power BI

Make the point in three seconds.

Simple design rules for Power BI visuals, each one shown bad and good with real HR data.

Start with titlesSee every rule
HR Dataset, 301 employees
Default Power BI column chart titled Sum of Left by Department, with six colours, a legend, gridlines and two-decimal labels, in alphabetical order.

Power BI default. A field-name title, six colours that mean nothing, a legend that repeats the axis, and bars in alphabetical order. The reader has to find the point alone.

Redesigned bar chart titled Production loses 40% of its staff, three times the rate in Sales. Bars are sorted, grey, with Production in blue.

Redesigned. The title states the finding. Bars are sorted, grey is context, and one blue bar carries the point. Labels sit on the bars, so the axis and gridlines go.

Four things every visual gets judged on.

Most weak reports fail on one of these. Each has its own page of before-and-after examples.

PoorTurnover by Department
OkayProduction has the highest turnover
ExcellentProduction loses 40% of its staff, three times the rate in Sales
01

Titles

Write the finding, not the topic. A reader who sees only the title should still get the message.
A pie chart next to the same numbers as sorted bars
02

Pie and donut charts

People compare lengths far better than angles. Use bars, except for two or three parts of a whole.
A bar chart with a callout box saying Fix Production first
03

Callouts

On a presentation page, say what to do about it, in the same blue as the bar it explains.
Three KPI cards, each with a comparison under the number
04

Cards

A number alone can't be judged. Give each card a comparison, and put the row top left.

Twenty-two rules, most important first.

The order is by how much each rule changes what a reader takes away. Each one links to examples and the Power BI setting that does it.

  1. 01

    Decide: presentation or dashboard

    The page either argues one point or lets the reader explore. Every other choice follows.

    Both
  2. 02

    One page, one message

    If the title needs "and" to join two claims, split the page.

    Presentation
  3. 03

    Choose the chart from the message

    Name the comparison first: ranking, change over time, part of a whole, relationship.

    Both
  4. 04

    Grey everything, then one accent

    Colour only the bar, line or number that carries the point.

    Both
  5. 05

    Every number needs a comparison

    A target, prior period or benchmark, shown on the visual.

    Both
  6. 06

    Declutter until the data stands out

    Borders, gridlines, markers, legends and decimals go unless they inform.

    Both
  7. 07

    Lead with the answer, top left

    3-30-300: headline and cards first, then charts, then detail.

    Both
  8. 08

    Honest axes

    Bars start at zero, the same unit gets the same scale, no dual axes.

    Both
  9. 09

    Sort deliberately

    By value, unless the categories have a natural order.

    Both
  10. 10

    Label the data directly

    Turn the legend off and name each series on the chart.

    Both
  11. 11

    Data labels or axis, not both

    With labels on, the value axis and gridlines go.

    Both
  12. 12

    Align to a real grid

    Equal, calculated gaps. A 4-8 px mismatch already looks wrong.

    Both
  13. 13

    Fewer visuals, bigger main visual

    Fill space with a bigger main visual, not more visuals.

    Both
  14. 14

    Format numbers for people

    $3.4M, not $3,412,887. Zero or one decimal on percentages.

    Both
  15. 15

    Plain words, no field names

    "Sum of Left" tells the reader a machine made the chart.

    Both
  16. 16

    Same colour, same meaning

    Once a colour means something, it means that everywhere.

    Both
  17. 17

    Never rely on colour alone

    A colourblind-safe palette, plus a sign, arrow or label.

    Both
  18. 18

    One font, few sizes

    Segoe UI, left-aligned, sentence case, nothing under 10 pt.

    Both
  19. 19

    Skip gauges, 3D and radial charts

    They look busy and hide the comparison.

    Both
  20. 20

    Slicers on the edge, never top left

    Top left belongs to the answer.

    Dashboard
  21. 21

    Consulting page anatomy

    Title, subtitle with units, exhibit, source and date, always in the same spots.

    Presentation
  22. 22

    Story order across pages

    Read only the titles in order and they tell the story.

    Presentation

One point, or many questions.

Every Power BI page is either a presentation or a dashboard. Good design looks different in each.

Presentation

Makes one point the reader acts on.

Title
The finding, with a number
Visuals
One or two
Callout
Often: what to do about it
Cards
One or two numbers, often as plain text
Slicers
None

Dashboard

Lets the reader explore.

Title
The question, since slicers change the numbers
Visuals
Many, read from the top left
Callout
Rarely: a filter can make it false
Cards
A top-left row, each with a comparison
Slicers
Grouped on one edge
See both page types built

Test your eye.

All three titles sit on the same chart of turnover by department. Which one does its job?

More practice