IBCS-styled Charts with Just Core Power BI Visuals and DAX

Earlier in 2023, the ability to customize the width and height of SVG images in the Matrix and Table Power BI core visuals was introduced, along with a New Card visual that supports SVG images.

Andrzej Leszkiewicz will demonstrate how these features can be leveraged to create advanced custom data visualizations without the need for custom Power BI visuals.

Andrzej will show how to transform a lackluster and ineffective matrix or table into a highly effective data visualization. He will cover how to embed multiple charts into a table or matrix and how to format the visualization in accordance with the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS) guidelines.

Target Audience:

Power BI report developers eager to learn how data visualizations, created in accordance with the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS), can enhance the interpretability of business reports and how to create them in Power BI using only core visuals (Table, Matrix, New Card) and DAX.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

Advanced. Intermediate to advanced understanding of DAX is advised, as the technique uses DAX to generate SVG code and utilizes calculation groups. A basic understanding of SVG images language will be useful but not necessary. You don't need to know what IBCS is.

Learning objectives:

You'll learn how IBCS guidelines can enhance the interpretability of business reports, how to create IBCS-styled charts without paying for custom visuals licenses by using only core visuals (Table, Matrix, New Card) and DAX, and how to utilize calculation groups to reduce code duplication in your IBCS-styled reports.

IBCS visualizations explained in the session:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/74j7zy6iiwq38wun7k46f/IBCS_column_chart._Power_BI_Matrix_visual.png?rlkey=2d1g2fdsck1ig070kctt8chvy&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fcyrwh12ew3fdeht59xe1/IBCS_3_tier_chart._Power_BI_Matrix_visual.png?rlkey=mzdn156ks0t3qnexlhz6zzhhy&dl=0

Highly Customized Power BI Visualizations with Deneb and Vega

Andrzej Leszkiewicz is a creator of highly customized and interactive data visualizations using Vega visualization grammar and Deneb custom visuals for Power BI. Andrzej will demonstrate how Deneb and Vega can be leveraged to create advanced custom data visualizations.

Target Audience:

Power BI report developers eager to learn how to create custom data visualizations without learning JavaScript and Power BI visuals SDK. Vega visualization grammar is a declarative language that is relatively easy to learn (it's just a JSON file that describes all visual elements).

Session Level and Prerequisites:

Advanced. If you've already realized that core Power BI visuals limit your data storytelling ideas and you haven't found any existing custom visual that satisfies your requirements, it's time to start using Deneb. Understanding of the JSON format is recommended, and a basic understanding of any programming language will be useful.

Learning Objectives:

You'll learn what kind of possibilities the Deneb custom visual for Power BI and Vega visualization grammar offer and how they can be used to move your data visualization far beyond the limitations of Power BI core and many existing custom visuals. You'll learn how to create simple charts using dozens of Deneb Vega templates, and you'll see how further learning of Vega can help you in creating highly customized data visualizations.

Examples of my Deneb/Vega visualizations:

Deneb Templates: https://github.com/avatorl/Deneb-Vega-Templates/tree/main

Complete report created using a single instance of Deneb: https://powerofbi.org/hr-cross-functional-mobility-rwfd/

Various Vega visualizations: https://powerofbi.org/deneb-vega-data-visualization-examples/

Making better charts in Power BI

This session highlights the differences between "bad" and "good" charts, focusing on the importance of good data visualization practices and ways to improve Power BI data visualizations by choosing different chart types, changing default format settings, and applying tricks and workarounds.

Through side-by-side comparisons of "bad" and "good" charts, participants will learn to use Power BI's data visualization capabilities beyond its default settings.

Target Audience:

This session is for Power BI report developers, data analysts, and visualization experts who want to enhance their skills in creating better charts beyond the default format settings.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

Intermediate. Participants should have experience in inserting and formatting Power BI core and custom visuals and creating simple DAX measures.

Attendees will learn to:

Critically evaluate default visualization choices in Power BI.
Apply principles of perception to enhance the clarity of charts.
Use techniques, tricks, and workarounds to overcome Power BI's limitations.
Create compelling visualizations that support better decision-making.

Creating a dashboard using only one visual (Deneb)

In this session, the speaker demonstrates how a single instance of the Deneb custom visual can be leveraged to create an entire report page (dashboard), not just a single chart. This method enables the development of highly customized charts while also facilitating advanced interactions between charts, such as cross-filtering and cross-highlighting.

The presentation shows that creating "highly customized" charts doesn't have to mean making them overly complex or ornamental. Instead, it often involves deep customization to ensure that simple bar charts and heatmaps work together effectively, enhancing data exploration and understanding for end users.

Target Audience:

This session is designed for data visualization professionals who struggle to build comprehensive Power BI reports using various visuals, unaware that a possible solution is to use just one. This session is not for beginners looking to learn how to build their first Power BI reports.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

Intermediate. While a basic understanding of the Deneb custom visual and Vega or Vega-Lite languages is helpful, it is not required. This session may serve as inspiration to start learning them. Instead of a deep dive into "how" (advanced Vega coding), the speaker explains "what" he did and "why" to build this dashboard.

Learning Objectives:

The presentation shows that creating "highly customized" charts doesn't have to mean making them overly complex or ornamental. Instead, it explains that it often involves deep customization to ensure that simple bar charts and heatmaps work together effectively, enhancing data exploration and understanding for end users.

The dashboard that will be demonstrated and explained: https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNzZmOGVlNmItZGNiNC00NGQzLTk1ZmEtYjFlYzA5MDQzZTFiIiwidCI6IjYzNjBkMTZhLTk3MWQtNGQzMC1hOWE5LTdiY2I0ODUzMDhlMSIsImMiOjl9

Learning Deneb and Vega to improve bar chart

In this session, the author uses Deneb and Vega to build interactive bar charts representing the results of the 2024 US Presidential Election.

Deneb and Vega are required here to achieve a high level of interactivity (cross-filtering, interactive what-if analysis) while using nothing more complicated than bar charts.

Target Audience:

Power BI report developers who already build multiple Power BI reports using core visuals and are looking to learn new ways of creating more comprehensive and interactive reports.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

Beginner to Intermediate. A basic understanding of the JSON format is recommended.

Learning Objectives:

You'll learn how to create bar charts using Deneb and Vega, and you'll learn how to combine them into a simple interactive report within a single instance of a visual.

The visualization that will be demonstrated and explained: https://github.com/avatorl/DataViz-Vega/tree/main/us-elections-chart

IBCS: Improving the comprehensibility of reports and dashboards

In this session, you'll learn what the International Business Communication Standards (IBCS) are, how IBCS can be used to improve the comprehensibility of reports and dashboards, and how your organization can benefit from implementing these standards into reports and dashboards (including those created in Power BI).

Target Audience:

Everyone who uses reports and dashboards to make data-driven decisions, as well as those who create reports, dashboards, and presentations. This includes managers, executives, business analysts, and report developers.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

No technical Power BI knowledge is required. Experience in using reports and dashboards to make data-driven business decisions or creating them is desired.

Learning Objectives:

Managers and executives will learn how their organization can benefit from implementing IBCS. Report developers will understand how to improve the comprehensibility of the reports and dashboards they create.

Making better reports (dashboards)

In this session, the speaker will help you understand what is often wrong with an average "my first Power BI dashboard" and how you can improve your Power BI dashboards.

Even if your first dashboard falls short from a data visualization perspective, it still holds value for your learning process. But what exactly should you be learning from this experience?

Target Audience:

This session is aimed at Power BI report developers who have already built their first Power BI dashboard and are looking to enhance their skills.

Session Level and Prerequisites:

This is an introductory session for beginners. Experience in creating your first simple dashboard is recommended but not required.

Learning Objectives:

You will learn what questions to ask yourself and other stakeholders to ensure you are moving in the right direction on your journey to creating more effective Power BI dashboards.

You'll learn which topics you need to focus on for your future learning.