Power BI Visualization Usability Checklist

Created by Meagan Longoria

Last Updated 16-Nov-2018
Check DataSavvy.me for the latest updates

All Visuals
Charts have descriptive titles that explain the chart contents
For charts with a single measure and axis, either axis labels with gridlines or direct labeling is used - not both
Axis labels are horizontal, not diagonal or vertical (hint: use a bar chart instead of a column chart with long labels, change the maximum width property on the axis to 50)
Chart backgrounds use low saturation or neutral hue colors (if they are used at all), so that data points stand out more than the background
Chart title backgrounds are clear/white/very light, standing out less than the chart contents
Bright colors are reserved for highlighting items that need attention. Less intense colors are used for other items on the page
Charts do not use jargon that may not be familiar to the intended audience

Bar Charts
Bar charts with a single measure use a single color for all bars (with the exception of conditional formatting to highlight certain data points)
Bar charts that are not expressing a time series are ordered ascending or descending by value rather than alphabetical or natural order
Bar charts start at zero to allow users to accurately evaluate length and differences between bars
Clustered bar/column charts are clustered on the category within which analysis should be done. For example, Sales by product clustered by quarter facilitates comparing within the quarter.
Sales by quarter clustered on product facilitates analysis over time within the product.

Pie Charts
Pie charts do not contain more than 3 slices (more than 3 slices might indicate a need to switch chart types)

Across Visuals and Pages

If slicers are on multiple pages, they are in the same location with the same formatting
If textboxes are used for titles on pages, they are located in the same location on each page
Visuals in a row or column are exactly aligned. (Misalignment can be distracting)
Dark, intense chart borders are not used on any chart. When whitespace is not enough visual separation, very light borders are used
Charts that are placed close to one another have been placed purposefully because they are related to one another more so than other charts on the page
There is enough whitespace between charts to tell where one chart ends and another begins
Colors used within and across visuals are easily distinguishable from each other
Fonts areshould
If charts consistent across visuals,
be comparable, theor deviations
scale are done
of the axes with
are set good reasonto facilitate reasonable comparison. If the axis is the same on each chart, the scale is the same or very obviously
appropriately
different

Overall Review
A message has been defined and all charts can be related back to the message
Supplemental information (text explanations, contextual numbers, links to other resources, etc.) is in the report where needed
Decorative elements that do not support information intake have been removed (don't remove all images and shapes, just make sure they are used to convey information, highlight important
components, or separate areas of the report)
Visuals/data points with colors that stand out are intentionally highlighted and not accidentally overly prominent
Charts are in appropriate order on the page to facilitate common patterns of analysis
The report page is balanced so that one side of the page is not heavier than the other
Identified key metrics are adequately featured

Note: This list is not exhaustive nor difinitive, but it provides some good guidelines to start. If you have feedback on the list, please send it via https://datasavvy.me/about/
Data Viz Usability Concepts

Cognitive Load
Summary
Strategies

More Info

Preattentive Attributes
Summary
Strategies

More Info

Gestalt Principles
Summary
Strategies
More Info

Color Contrast
Summary
Strategies

More Info

Color Palette
Summary
Strategies

More Info

Affordances
Summary

Strategies

More Info

Be On Message
Summary
Strategies

More Info
Data Viz Usability Concepts

Cognitive Load
Information requires brain power to take it in. Brain power (aka working memory) is limited, so be intentional about
Remove clutter
Direct label as much as possible
Put things in context
https://datasavvy.me/2017/11/27/design-concepts-to-help-you-create-better-power-bi-reports/

Preattentive Attributes
Visual properties that we notice without conscious effort within ~200 ms of exposure. These include color, form, spa
Focus attention on important points
Remove distractions
Build a hierarchy of information
https://datasavvy.me/2017/11/30/design-concepts-for-better-power-bi-reports-part-2-preattentive-attributes/

Gestalt Principles
Our brains simplify objects so we see the whole or outline before we see each individual component. We like things
regular
Perform a squint test to check for balanced layout and colors
https://datasavvy.me/2017/12/18/design-concepts-for-better-power-bi-reports-part-3-gestalt-principles/

Color Contrast
Difference between colors. This could be a difference in hue, tint/shade, or saturation.
Make text and data points legible and distinguishable
Use a contrast ratio of 4.5 or greater for text vs background
Highlight important data points
http://www.colorsontheweb.com/Color-Theory/Color-Contrast

Color Palette
A selection of colors applied to visual elements in your report
Create a color palette once and reuse it. A color palette may only need 6 colors: a main color, 2 ancillary colors, a hig
header/title text color.
Decide whether the palette will be monochromatic, complementary, or analogous and stick to it.
https://datasavvy.me/2018/05/26/choosing-a-color-palette-for-your-power-bi-report/

Affordances
Use existing knowledge and consistent design to make it obvious how users should interact with your data visualiza
size of elements, spacial position, and text, it is so clear to the audience how to interact with the data visualization t
Use a report themes to define a consistent color palette and visual formatting.
Use charts that are easy to understand for the intended audience.
https://datasavvy.me/2017/12/28/design-concepts-for-better-power-bi-reports-part-5-affordances/

Be On Message
Your report should tell your intended audience what they need to know on the selected subject matter
Identify your audience. Define your message (1-2 sentence summary of the purpose/overview of what the report sa
For each group in your intended audience, what are their first three questions of the data? Make sure those questio
http://www.storytellingwithdata.com/blog/2017/3/22/so-what