Technical writing on chart types, Power BI internals, and the visuals we build.
Three methods, their real differences, and which to use for your context — including the AppSource certification restriction most documentation doesn't mention.
Most bad dashboards start with picking a chart type first and forcing data into it. Here's a needs-first guide to matching your question to the right visual — generic chart types, not just one vendor's catalog.
A calendar heatmap shows KPI intensity by day at a glance — but on its own, it can't explain why a day spiked. Here's what it takes to close that gap.
A KPI card is the single most-used visual on any executive dashboard. Here's what makes a good one, and how to pack more than one number into it without cluttering the page.
Bullet charts pack actual, target and performance context into a single compact bar. Here's how they work, when to use them over a gauge, and how to build one in Power BI without DAX.
Waterfall charts show how a series of increases and decreases bridge a starting total to an ending one. Here's what they're for, and how to build a clean one in Power BI.
A histogram is a statistical X-ray of your data, not just a bar chart. Here's how to read one, what mean-vs-median gaps tell you, and how to build one properly in Power BI.
On a real map, the biggest region always looks the most important — even when it isn't. Here's how tile grid maps fix that, and how to build one in Power BI without a GIS detour.
Dropdown slicers hide their own state and waste space. Chip/pill filters show every option and every active selection at once. Here's the case for switching, and how to do it for free.
Category → Subcategory → Product filtering needs a different UI than a flat list. Here's how hierarchical chip filters work, and when your report actually needs one.
Comparing this period to the last one is one of the most common things a bar chart needs to do — and one of the most annoying to set up with calculated measures. Here's a simpler way.
Most quadrant charts force a 2x2 grid, even when the real logic of your analysis isn't symmetric. Here's when that matters, and how to break the constraint in Power BI.
Pareto charts show which contributors drive the majority of a result. Here's what they're used for, how they work, and how to build one in Power BI.
A matrix heatmap turns a two-dimensional table into something your eyes can actually scan. Here's when to use one, and what it takes to get the numbers right.