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Power BI Literacy

One Question Per Visual: Purpose-Driven Design

💡 Hover over any tip or practice to see practical purpose examples
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Write the Question First

  • Start every visual with a single business question
  • State the audience and decision the visual supports
  • Use the title to repeat the question in plain language
  • Remove any metric that does not help answer it
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Align the Visual to the Answer

  • Choose a chart that naturally answers the question
  • Match axes and granularity to the decision timeframe
  • Avoid mixing comparisons and trends in one visual
  • Keep the number of categories small and meaningful
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Separate Summary and Detail

  • Use one visual for the headline and another for the breakdown
  • Use tooltips for supporting context instead of extra elements
  • Use drillthrough when the user needs to investigate deeper
  • Keep tables for detail pages, not the main story
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Use Consistent Measures and Definitions

  • Ensure the same measure means the same thing everywhere
  • Standardize filters so visuals compare like-for-like
  • Document business rules for each key measure
  • Avoid hidden logic inside visuals that users cannot see
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Avoid Multi-Question Traps

  • Do not combine performance, variance, and drivers in one chart
  • Do not combine multiple units and scales in one visual
  • Avoid dual axes unless the question is explicitly about correlation
  • If users ask follow-up questions, create separate visuals
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Test the Question in 10 Seconds

  • Ask someone to explain what the visual answers quickly
  • If they mention two questions, split the visual
  • If they cannot answer, rewrite the title and simplify
  • Validate the visual still works when filters change

Best Practices for a Maintenance Mindset

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Question-Based Titles
Write titles as questions or answers so users instantly know what the visual is for.
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One Visual, One Grain
Use a single level of detail per visual so users do not have to decode mixed granularity.
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Two-Sentence Check
If you need more than two sentences to explain a visual, it is doing too much.
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Support With Tooltips
Use tooltips to add context without changing the main question the visual answers.
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Standardize Filters
Keep consistent filter logic so comparisons remain valid across visuals and pages.
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Use Drillthrough for Follow-Ups
Design follow-up questions as drillthrough paths rather than cramming them into one chart.