How to Create a Dashboard in Power BI?

The business intelligence software market is growing exponentially, with a projected share of $ 27.36 billion in 2024.

Businesses want to show their data in a unified, structured, and interactive format and Microsoft Power BI is the answer. Knowing how to create a dashboard in Power BI allows you to integrate structured and unstructured data and share and collaborate on it across the board. 

Let us dig in and learn to leverage data visualization through Power BI dashboards.

What is a Power BI Dashboard?

Microsoft Power BI is a powerful data visualization and business intelligence tool. 

A Power BI dashboard is a single page, often called a canvas, that uses visualizations to tell a story. Because it is limited to one page, a well-designed dashboard contains only the most vital elements of that story. 

The visualizations are pinned to the dashboard by report creators, and each visualization on a dashboard is a live link to the report used to create it. 

So, clicking a visualization will take you directly to the report, allowing you to see more detailed data.

Learn about the importance of data visualization in business intelligence in the blog. 

Key features of a Power BI dashboard include:

• Single Page: Dashboards are concise, typically summarizing valuable metrics on one page.
• Interactive Tiles: You may click each tile (visual) to drill down into detailed reports.
• Real-time Data: Dashboards can display live data and updates.
• Variety of Visualizations: Includes charts, graphs, maps, and custom visuals.
• Customization: Users can customize the layout, themes, and interactions.

Difference Between Reports and Dashboards in Power BI

Understanding the difference between reports and dashboards in Power BI is crucial for effective data presentation and analysis:

Learn about scheduled refreshes in Microsoft Power BI in this blog. 

Use Cases for Power BI Dashboards

Power BI dashboards are versatile tools used across various industries and business functions. Here are some use cases:

• Executive Dashboards: It provides top-level management with key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics crucial for strategic decision-making.
• Sales and Marketing Dashboards: Track sales performance, marketing campaign effectiveness, lead generation, and customer engagement.
• Financial Dashboards: Monitor financial health by presenting data on revenue, expenses, profit margins, and financial forecasts.
• Operational Dashboards: Keep track of operational processes, identify bottlenecks, and improve efficiency with real-time data.
• Human Resources Dashboards: Manage employee performance, track recruitment metrics, and monitor workforce analytics.
• Project Management Dashboards: Provide insights into project progress, timelines, resource allocation, and project costs.

Prerequisites

You can create a dashboard in the Power BI Desktop application.

Install it on your local computer to connect to, transform, and visualize your data. It is the primary tool for building detailed reports, which can be published later in the Power BI Service.

You can download Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Power BI website.

Power BI Service is an online SaaS (Software as a Service) service where you can share, publish, and view dashboards and reports created in Power BI Desktop. It provides features for collaboration, sharing, and real-time dashboard updates.

Access Power BI Service here. 

Basic Data Visualization Concepts

Before diving into creating dashboards in Power BI, it is essential to have a foundational understanding of data visualization concepts. 

It includes:

• Types of Visualizations: It is critical to know when to use charts, graphs, maps, and tables for the best data representation.
• Data Relationships: It involves understanding the relationship between different data points with each other and ways to illustrate these relationships effectively.
• Metrics and KPIs: Identifying key performance indicators and metrics relevant to your dashboard audience.
• Design Principles: Applying best practices in visual design to ensure clarity, readability, and user engagement.

Familiarity with these concepts will help you create more effective and insightful dashboards.

Learn about automation and insights with AI in data visualization in this blog. 

Sample Dataset

You will need a sample dataset to practice creating a Power BI dashboard. Find sample datasets from various sources:

• Power BI Sample Datasets: Microsoft provides several sample datasets that you can use to practice. These datasets are available directly within the Power BI Desktop application or from their website.
• Public Data Sources: Websites like Kaggle, Data.gov, and Google Dataset Search offer numerous datasets across various domains.
• Creating Your Dataset: Use tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to create a simple dataset. For example, compile sales data, customer information, or any other data relevant to your needs.

With the right tools, a foundational understanding of data visualization, and a sample dataset ready, you will be well-prepared to start creating impactful Power BI dashboards.

Get Started with Power BI

We will guide you through dipping your toes in Power BI to make a dashboard. 

To begin creating a dashboard in Power BI, you first need to download and install Power BI Desktop. Power BI Desktop is a free application from Microsoft that allows you to connect to various data sources, transform data, and create detailed reports.

Introduction to the Power BI Interface

When you first open Power BI Desktop, you will see an interface designed to make data visualization intuitive and efficient. Here is a brief overview of the main components:

• Ribbon: Located at the top of the window, the Ribbon contains various tabs such as Home, Insert, Modeling, and View. Each tab offers different functionalities like importing data, creating visuals, and formatting reports.
• Report View: This is the main canvas used to create your reports. You can drag and drop visualizations, arrange them, and customize their appearance.
• Data View: Switch to this view to see your data in a tabular format. It helps with inspecting and cleaning your data.
• Model View: This view allows you to manage relationships between different tables in your dataset. It is necessary to define how tables interact with each other.
• Fields Pane: Located on the right side, the Fields pane lists all the tables and columns from your data source. You can drag fields onto the Report View to create visualizations.
• Visualizations Pane: Also on the right side, this pane provides various visualization options such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and more. You can customize each visualization’s properties and settings here.

Connecting to Data Sources

Power BI Desktop supports a range of data sources, allowing you to import and visualize data from various platforms. These include:

• Excel 
• CSV File
• SQL Server
• Sharepoint
• Azure

Data Preparation

So far, we have our tools and data sources. Let us get down to moving and handling that data with Power BI.

The first step in creating a Power BI dashboard is to import your data into Power BI Desktop. Power BI supports various data sources, including Excel, SQL Server, and web data.

Here’s how to import data:

• Go to Power BI Desktop and click the Home tab in the Ribbon.
• Select Get Data to open a list of available data sources.
• Choose your data source (e.g., Excel, SQL Server, Web).

• Follow the prompts to connect to your data source and load your data into Power BI.
• After connecting to your data source, the Navigator window will appear.
• Select the tables or sheets you want to import.
• Click Load to bring the data into Power BI.

Cleaning and Transforming Data Using Power Query

Once your data is loaded, it is time to remove the noise and get it in the correct format to ensure accuracy and usability. 

Below, we explain the use of Power Query, a powerful tool within Power BI that allows you to perform these tasks:

• Go to Power BI Desktop > Home, and click Transform Data. It opens the Power Query Editor, where you can manipulate your data.

1. Data Cleaning

• Remove Unnecessary Columns: Right-click on the columns you do not need and select "Remove".
• Use the filter options to exclude irrelevant rows.
• Replace or remove null values as needed.

2. Data Transformation

• Ensure each column has the correct data type (e.g., text, number, date). 
• Split a column into multiple columns if it contains composite data.
• Combine different columns into one if necessary.

3. Applying Changes

• After cleaning and transforming your data, click Close & Apply in the Power Query Editor.
• It will apply your changes and load the transformed data in Power BI Desktop.

Creating Relationships Between Tables

Power BI allows you to create relationships between tables to build a comprehensive data model, enabling you to analyze data from multiple tables.

• Switch to the Model view by clicking the Model icon on the left. Here, you will see all your tables and their columns.

• Drag and drop fields from one table to the corresponding field in another to create a relationship.
• For example, if you have a Sales table and a Products table, you might create a relationship between the ProductID fields in both tables.

• Click the Manage Relationships button in the Ribbon under the Model tab. It opens the Manage Relationships dialog, where you can view, edit, and delete relationships.
• Ensure that each relationship is defined correctly as either one-to-many or many-to-many. Double-click on a relationship line in the Model view to open the Edit Relationship dialog.

• Reflect the relationship between your tables by configuring properties like Cardinality (one-to-one, one-to-many) and Cross-filter direction (single, both). 

Creating Your First Report

Let us get down to creating our first report in Power BI. 

Adding Visuals (Charts, Graphs, Tables)

Creating your first report in Power BI involves adding various visual elements to represent your data effectively. Here is how to get started:

• Launch Power BI Desktop and open your data model.
• Switch to the Report View by clicking the Report icon on the left sidebar.

• Click on the Visualizations pane on the right side and select the type of chart you want to add (e.g., bar chart, line chart, pie chart). Drag the chart icon onto the report canvas.
• Similar to charts, select the appropriate graph type from the Visualizations pane and drag it onto the canvas.
• Choose the table visual from the Visualizations pane. Drag and drop it onto the report canvas.
• Drag fields from the Fields pane into the appropriate area in the visual’s settings. For example, drag the Sales Amount to the Values section and the Date to the Axis section for a line chart.
• Click and drag the corners of each visual to resize them. Arrange the visuals on the canvas to create a cohesive and readable report layout.

Customizing Visuals (Filters, Formatting)

Customizing your visuals helps in making the report more insightful and visually appealing. Here are the steps to customize your visuals:

• Select a visual, then drag a field into the Filters pane under Visual Level Filters. Adjust the filter conditions as needed.
• Apply filters that affect all visuals on a report page by dragging fields into the Page Level Filters area.
• These filters apply to all pages in the report. Drag fields into the "Report Level Filters" section.

Formatting Visuals

Finally, customize the data visuals into the colors and formats suited to your needs.

• Click on a visual to select it, then click on the paint roller icon (Format) in the Visualizations pane.
• Customize various aspects like colors, data labels, titles, and backgrounds. For example, you can change the color of bars in a bar chart or adjust the font size of titles.
• Slicers are interactive filters that users can use to filter data in the report. Select the slicer visual from the Visualizations pane, add it to the canvas, and drag a field (e.g., Date or Region) to it.

Using DAX for Calculated Columns and Measures

Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) is a formula language in Power BI to create custom calculations. You can use DAX to add calculated columns and measures to your data model.

Creating Calculated Columns

Calculated columns are added to tables and can be handy when you perform row-by-row calculations.

• Go to the Data view, and select the table where you want to add the column.
• Click Modeling in the Ribbon, then click New Column.
• Enter your DAX formula in the formula bar. For example:

Total Sales = [Quantity] * [Unit Price]

• Press Enter to create the calculated column.

Creating Measures

Measures are used for aggregations and calculated on the fly.

• In the Report view, select the table where you want to add the measure.
• Click Modeling in the Ribbon, then click New Measure.
• Enter your DAX formula. For example:

Total Revenue = SUM('Sales'[Revenue])

• Press Enter to create the measure.
• Drag your calculated columns and measures from the Fields pane into your visuals like any other field. They will dynamically update based on the context provided by filters and slicers.

Learn about the future trends in Data Visualization in this blog. 

Designing the Dashboard

We have the necessary charts and graphs to create our dashboard in Power BI. 

Follow these steps to create a dashboard in Power BI:

Pinning Visuals from Reports to the Dashboard

Once you have created your reports with various visuals, the next step is to pin these visuals to your Power BI dashboard. Pinning allows you to select the most critical visuals from your reports and display them in a single, consolidated view.

• Open the report with the desired visuals in the Power BI Desktop or Power BI Service to pin in the dashboard.
• Hover over the visual you want to pin to your dashboard and click the pin icon in the top-right corner of the visual.
• Choose the destination dashboard or create a new one if necessary.
• Click Pin to add the visual to your dashboard.
• A confirmation message will appear, indicating the visual is pinned to your dashboard.

Arranging and Resizing Tiles

After pinning visuals to your dashboard, you can arrange and resize the tiles to create a visually appealing and functional layout.

• Navigate to the Power BI Service and open the dashboard to which you pinned your visuals.
• Click and hold the top of a tile to drag it to a new location on the dashboard. Arrange the tiles in a way that makes the most sense for your data narrative.
• Hover over the bottom-right corner of a tile until the resize handle appears.
• Click and drag the handle to resize the tile. Adjust the size to ensure readability and effective use of space.
• Align similar or related visuals together to make your dashboard more intuitive.
• Use the space wisely to avoid clutter and enhance the dashboard's visual appeal.

Adding Interactivity with Slicers and Filters

Adding slicers and filters to your dashboard increases its interactivity, allowing users to explore data dynamically and gain deeper insights.

• In your report, add slicers by selecting the slicer visual from the Visualizations pane.
• Drag the field you want to use for filtering into the slicer visual. Format the slicer as needed (e.g., single-select, multi-select).

• Just like other visuals, you can pin slicers to the dashboard. Select the slicer visual in your report and click the pin icon. Choose the destination dashboard and pin the slicer.
• Use the Filters pane in Power BI Service to add filters to your dashboard. These filters can apply to individual visuals or the entire dashboard.
• Ensure that your visuals are interacting correctly with each other.
• In the report view, select a visual, click on the Format pane, then go to Edit Interactions. Define how each visual should respond when the slicer or filter is applied.

Customizing the Dashboard

Let us move to the more cosmetic side of data visualization and make the dashboard our own. 

Custom Themes and Styles

Customizing the appearance of your Power BI dashboard with themes and styles enhances its visual appeal and ensures it aligns with your branding.

• Open your dashboard in the Power BI Service, click the View tab, select Themes, and choose from various built-in themes to instantly apply a cohesive look to your dashboard.
• For more advanced customization, create a custom theme. In Power BI Desktop go to the Home tab and select Switch Theme > Customize Current Theme.
  • Customize elements like colors, fonts, and backgrounds; adjust specific properties like data colors, table styles, and title fonts.
  • Save the theme and apply it to your dashboard by selecting Import Theme from the View tab.
• You can also use JSON files to define themes. Create a JSON file with the desired theme properties and import it into Power BI Desktop.
• Go to the View tab, select Themes > Browse for themes, and upload your JSON file.

Adding Text Boxes and Images

Adding text boxes and images to your dashboard can provide context, and explanations, and enhance the visual narrative.

• In Power BI Service, open your dashboard, click the Edit button in the top-right corner, and select Add a tile > Text box.
• Enter your text, format it using the available options (font size, color, alignment), and click Apply. Drag and drop the text box to your desired location on the dashboard.
• Follow similar steps to add images. Click Add a tile > Image and either upload a picture from your computer or provide a URL to the image.
• Resize and position the image on your dashboard to complement the existing visuals.

Setting Up Alerts and Notifications

Setting up alerts and notifications in Power BI keeps you informed about critical changes and updates in your data.

• Open your dashboard in Power BI Service, click the ellipsis (…) in the top-right corner of a visual, and select Manage Alerts.
• Choose the Add alert rule to define the conditions for the alert (e.g., when a value exceeds a threshold).
  • Set the alert details, such as the frequency of notifications and the delivery method (email, Power BI mobile app).
• You can view and manage all your alerts by navigating to Settings > Alerts in the Power BI Service. From here, you can edit, delete, or temporarily disable alerts as needed.

Sharing and Collaboration

Once your reports and dashboards are ready, you can share them with your team or external partners to share insights and collaborate. 

Publishing the Dashboard to Power BI Service

Publishing your Power BI dashboard to the Power BI Service makes it accessible to you and your team from anywhere, ensuring the latest data insights are always available.

• Open your completed dashboard in Power BI Desktop, click the Home tab, and select Publish. Sign in to your Power BI account if prompted.

• Choose the workspace in Power BI Service where you want to publish your dashboard and click Select. Once the publishing is complete, a confirmation message will appear with a link to your dashboard in Power BI Service.

• Log in to Power BI Service and navigate to the workspace where you published the dashboard. Ensure all visuals and data are correctly displayed as intended.

Sharing with Colleagues and Stakeholders

Sharing your dashboard with colleagues and stakeholders allows for collaborative analysis and decision-making.

• In Power BI Service, open the dashboard you want to share and click the Share button at the top of the page.

• Enter the email addresses of the colleagues or stakeholders you want to share the dashboard with.
• You can add a message and specify permissions (e.g., allow recipients to share the dashboard or build new content based on the dashboard).
• Click Share to send an email invitation to the recipients.

• Go to the dashboard Settings and click on the Manage Permissions link. Here, you can see who can access the dashboard and adjust their permissions.
  • You can revoke access or change permissions from this menu.
  • Use comments to collaborate directly on the dashboard. Click on a visual, then select the Comments icon to add a comment.
  • Tag colleagues in comments to notify them and foster discussion around specific data points or trends.

Embedding Dashboards in Other Applications

Embedding Power BI dashboards in other applications like SharePoint and Teams can enhance accessibility and integrate data insights into your daily workflows.

• In Power BI Service, open the dashboard you want to embed and click on File > Embed in SharePoint Online.
  • Copy the generated embed link.
  • Add a Power BI web part to your page in SharePoint
  • Paste the embed link into the web part and configure the display settings.
  • Publish the SharePoint page to make the embedded dashboard available to users.
• In Power BI Service, open the dashboard you want to share.
  • Click File > Embed in Teams.
  • A dialog will open in Teams where you can choose the team and channel to post the dashboard.
  • Click Share to embed the dashboard in the selected Teams channel.

Team members can now view and interact with the dashboard directly within Teams, facilitating ongoing discussions and data-driven decisions.

Conclusion

We discussed How to create a dashboard in Power BI, including the steps involved. 

Microsoft Power BI allows you to import data from various sources and build a custom report. You can clean and organize the data using Power Query, build relationships between data, and create a comprehensive data model.

For custom calculations, use DAX, for adding calculated columns and measures. 

Add multiple visuals to the report view, like charts, graphs, and tables, to represent your data effectively. Customize these visuals with filters and formatting to enhance clarity and insight.

Pin these visuals to your dashboard, arrange and resize them for optimal readability, and add interactive elements like slicers.

Finally, customize your dashboard with themes, styles, text boxes, and images to align with your branding. Set up alerts to stay informed about critical changes and publish your dashboard to the Power BI Service for sharing and collaboration. 

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