Lesson 8 - Card Visual in Power BI Desktop

The Card Visual in Power BI is the straightforward visual designed for displaying single data points in a visually appealing way. Card visual display specific measure which is considered to be key metrics of the dataset which helps in highlighting important KPI’s (Key Performance Indicator) of reports. 

How to Proceed?

Step 1

Launch power BI desktop app and open the new report page and import the data required. 

Download Raw files - https://github.com/shantha05/PowerBILessons/tree/main/RawFiles

Download .pbix files - https://github.com/shantha05/PowerBILessons/tree/main/pbixfiles (.pbix file populated with Raw data ready to use for visualization)

Step 2

In “visualizations” pane click on “Card” which is highlighted in the given figure. 

Step 3  

Drag the data field into “Field Section” that you want to display.  

In the above visual, I have displayed No of Regions as Card. I renamed that Field name as Countries. In this card visual we are showing the Count metrics in card. we can also show financial metrics, sales metrics, percentages etc.

The card showing No of regions participated in Olympics

You can also apply filters on the card visual. 

Step 4

Customizing the appearance

You can customize the appearance of the card visual. Click anywhere on the visual and set the properties in the Format section.

Refer Power BI Formatting blog post for general formatting

Select the card expand Callout value and change font style, size etc. and also format the category label

Expand Category label and change font style, size etc.

Step 5 Save the visual

Finally, your Card Visual is ready. Click save button to save the visual.

When to use Card visual?

Card Visual can be used to show straightforward key data points such as KPI’s or key metrics without any need of complex visualization. Also, we can show summary of data points in a easy clear manner

Pros

• Simple and straightforward visual.
• Card visual represents focused presentation of key data points
• It supports interactive features
• Easy to understand

Cons

• We cannot show multiple metrics in single card
• Cannot add additional information to the data card
• May be less attractive compared to other interactive visuals

Conclusion

The Card visual in Power BI is a wonderful tool presenting focused and specific metrics, providing a clean and readable representation of KPI’s. It may not be suitable for every reporting scenario, especially for those requiring complex visualizations or a more exploratory approach to data analysis.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/power-bi-how-to-format-a-card/
MS Learn Modules	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/visuals/power-bi-visualization-card?tabs=powerbi-desktop
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz