This post is brought to you by a special guest author, Elayne Jones. Find her on LinkedIn or see her other blog posts and Power BI tips at Data on Rails!

After hours of dedicated development, are you almost ready to deploy your Power BI reports to your end users? Before you click publish on your Power BI app, here’s a quick checklist of four ways to make your report content more intuitive by leveraging the power of DAX. 

These tactics are universally applicable to reports of any subject matter. Further, these tips will reduce support requests and will enhance the user experience (satisfaction not guaranteed).

In this blog, I have used the Competitive Marketing Analysis sample PBIX for examples.

Conditional Color Formatting Measures

One of the most prominent principles of visual report design is the Duarte Test, which states that a user should be able to open a report and quickly be able to discern the report’s purpose in under three seconds. 

Using conditional color formatting is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal. For example, if a company’s Total Sales are under target, color-coding the measure in red is a quick way to draw attention to the data. 

By using DAX, you can write a measure to return a specific RGB Hex code based on your defined thresholds. Below is an example. Note that the colors are specified using the RGB Hex code and enclosed in quotation marks. Bonus points if you use the exact RGB Hex code values to match your company’s branding standards!

You can use this measure in the visual format pane wherever you see the “Fx” formula icon.

I have used conditional color formatting in the fill color for “Bars” of column charts, in the Text property of card visuals, and in the cell elements background fill for tables and matrices.

Filtering Slicer Items With No Data

One of the most bewildering actions for an end user is to select an item from a slicer to return blank values in the other visuals on the page.

In this example, when you select a city where there have been no sales, the related chart visual will appear blank. This result makes sense from a data standpoint; however, blank visuals can incite unwarranted confusion from end users.

With a simple DAX measure, you can filter items out of slicers that have no data in other visuals on the page.

In the example below, I created a measure in the Geography table (which houses the city column used in the slicer) that returns one if the Total Sales (shown in the chart visual) is not zero.

When this measure is placed as a visual level filter on the city slicer, cities that do not have sales are hidden from the slicer items. Thus, users can never select a city without sales data.

Notice that Abell, MD is no longer visible in the slicer. Now, your users can only select items with data in the slicer, and they will never be able to return a blank value in the other visuals on the page.

For a finishing touch, lock and hide the measure from the filter panel so that users cannot change the value or see the filter in the filter pane.

SELECTEDVALUE() Measures

As reports become more complex, containing multiple slicers and advanced drill-through capabilities, discerning what value is displayed in your report visuals can be challenging. 

At any point, users can hover over the funnel icon in the top right corner of a visual to see the applied filters. However, bearing the Duarte Test in mind, the best report design is the simplest. Users want to see the information they need, as efficiently as possible.

One of the quickest ways to make your reports more intuitive is to write measures using the SELECTEDVALUE() formula in card visuals or in text boxes to emphasize key attributes impacting other visuals. Placed near the top left corner of the page, these measures serve as meaningful headers to guide the user experience. 

Here is an example of the syntax:

The second argument allows you to define what should be displayed if no value has been selected. I always recommend to specify a blank space or a generic text like “All Customers” in the second argument. Otherwise, the measure will return the text “ BLANK() “ which inevitably causes questions from end users.

Here is an example of what the measure looks like when used in the header text box, with no manufacturers selected:

Here is an example, after selecting a manufacturer from the filter pane:

Last Refresh Measures

Last, a personal favorite of mine is to display the last report refresh in a text box or card visuals. 

Here is a link to a blog I have previously written outlining the process in more detail:

How to Add Last Refresh Date/Time to Power BI Reports

Conclusion 

As a Power BI report designer, using DAX allows you to be creative by designing a custom user experience. Using conditional color formatting and SELECTEDVALUE() measures allows you to create a cohesive story with your report visuals to emphasize important metrics.

Additionally, testing your report for spots of confusion will encourage you to design the report in a way that minimizes support requests. Preventing users from selecting items in slicers that would yield blank visuals goes a long way in creating a smooth user experience, free of unnecessary confusion. 

A well-designed user experience will drive adoptions and usage of the report content you have worked tirelessly to create. Take the time to imagine what the users will do with your reports. Devote the time to creating a report that not only meets, but exceeds expectations.

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