Lesson 24 - Funnel Chart in Power BI Desktop

 A funnel chart is a data visualization tool that looks like an inverted triangle or funnel, as the name implies. It is used to represent progressive decrease in data as they go through different stages.

How to proceed?

Step 1

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

Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Datasets to build great visuals

Step 2

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

Step 3

Drag the data fields into “Field Section” that you want to analyze.  

Category: Specifies a distinct stage or step in a process or sequence – Sport

Values: Specifies numeric data associated with each category in the visual – Number of Participants

Step 4

Filters in funnel chart are useful for focusing on specific subsets of data or stages in a process.

In this scenario, I applied a "Top N" filter with the "Bottom" selection and set the number to 7, displaying the six sports with the lowest participant counts.

The "By value" option allowed me to filter out these sports based on specific conditions, ensuring a focus on the lowest-performing categories.

I used it to filter out the bottom 7 sports with low participant counts.

Step 5 

Customize the appearance.

You can modify its appearance and features. This includes adjusting colors, labels, tooltips, legends, and
other aspects to suit your preferences. This improves the chart's visual appeal and effectiveness.

Refer Lesson 6 - Formatting the visuals in Power BI Desktop

Colors option allows you to adjust the color scheme to make chart visually appealing.

Data labels displays numeric values associated with each category. You can customize the font, color, background color and position of the data labels in the visual. In this case, I chose to display data labels in “inside center” position.

Category labels displays the names or labels of each stage or category in the process, providing clarity and context to the chart's data. You can customize the font and color of the category labels.

By default, category labels in a funnel chart are displayed on the left-hand side of the visual, helping users quickly identify and understand each stage or category in the process.

Both data labels and category labels in a funnel chart can usually be turned off or hidden by users if they are not needed or if a cleaner, less cluttered visualization is preferred.

Conversion rate labels represent the percentage or ratio of data movement between stages. You have the option to disable the conversion rate label in a funnel chart if it's not necessary for your presentation. In this figure, conversion rate labels are highlighted in red color.

Step 6

Save the visual

Finally, your Funnel chart is ready. Click save button to save the visual.

When to use Funnel Chart?

Funnel charts are used where you want to track and analyze the progression of data across different stages of process. Here are some scenarios in which you might use Funnel charts.

• When creating a funnel chart, ensure that your dataset contains categorical data representing stages and corresponding numerical values for each stage, like counts or percentages.
• To identify inefficiency in the data flow within a process.

Pros

• Funnel charts offer a space-efficient way to convey crucial information in reports.
• Funnel charts make complicated data easy to understand, ensuring accessibility to all the audiences.
• Funnel charts enable straightforward performance comparison between different stages or categories.

Cons

• Funnel charts excel in visualizing sequential data with distinct stages but may not be well-suited for non-linear processes or datasets lacking clear stages.
• Dealing with extensive datasets containing numerous stages in a funnel chart can pose challenges and may reduce its effectiveness.
• Funnel charts become challenging to understand when it deals with large dataset containing numerous stages.

Conclusion

Funnel charts are valuable data visualization tools that simplify complex data, making it easy to understand and analyze the progression or conversion rates through different stages of a process. Funnel charts are versatile, adapting well to diverse business and analytical contexts, and they improve communication and decision-making, particularly in multi-stage processes.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	Create and use funnel charts in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
MS Learn Modules	Visualization types in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz

Lesson 23 - Treemap in Power BI Desktop

Treemap is an interactive data visualization tool that allows you to represent hierarchical data in simple and organized way. It displays data using nested rectangles, where size and color of each rectangle helps you to understand the hierarchical relationship between them. Each rectangle's size corresponds to a specific attribute or value associated with a data point, and the nesting of rectangles visually represents the parent-child relationships within the data hierarchy.

How to proceed?

Step 1

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

Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Datasets to build great visuals

Step 2

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

Step 3

Drag the data fields into “Field Section” that you want to analyze.  

Category- Defines the primary hierarchical or categorical structure of the data, and the treemap represents these categories as rectangles. "Category" field often acts as the parent field - Region.

Details- Specifies additional information related to the child elements or subcategories of the main "Category" field - Gender.

Values- Specifies the numerical data that determine the size of each rectangle within the treemap.

Step 4

Filters allows users to narrow down the displayed data on specific conditions.

Here, I used filters to examine gender differences among the top 10 regions with the highest number of participants.

The “By value” option enables you to filter data based on specific numeric values. This treemap highlighting the Top 10 countries with diverse gender representation. 

Step 5

Customizing the appearance

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

Refer Lesson 6 - Formatting the visuals in Power BI Desktop

Legend option enables you to customize the position, font style, and color scheme of the legend displayed within the treemap visual.

Colors allows you to modify the color of each category displayed in the treemap visual.

Data labels displays data value correspond to each category/subcategory and also it represents the size of each rectangle. They can be turned off when not needed for a cleaner visualization.

Category labels displays textual data, typically representing the names or labels of the data categories or groups.

Step 6

Save the visual.

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

When to use Treemap?

Treemap can be used in following scenarios.

• When you want to compare the sizes of different data elements, Treemap is an excellent choice in showing relative proportions of the datapoints.
• When your data has a hierarchical structure with clear parent-child relationship.

Pros

• Treemaps are space-efficient since it can display large amount of data in a relatively small space.
• Treemaps are suitable for portraying the distribution of sizes within a category.
• Treemaps offer interactivity, allowing users to drill down into particular categories or data points for a closer look, enabling a deeper understanding and insights.

Cons

• Tiny differences in data can be challenging to perceive in a Treemap since the size of the rectangles is a key factor in their visualization.
• In dense Treemaps, labels or text linked to the rectangles might overlap, causing readability issues and making it harder to comprehend the data.
• The effectiveness of a Treemap heavily relies on the use of color to highlight differences in data. When there are minimal distinct colors available for data visualization in a Treemap and a large amount of data to represent, it can lead to increased complexity and potential difficulties in interpretation.

Conclusion

Treemaps serve as a flexible and powerful method for displaying data with hierarchies and size-related aspects. When used appropriately, Treemaps can enhance your data analysis and storytelling capabilities, making complex information more accessible and engaging for your audience.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	How to Create Power BI Treemap - Power BI Docs
MS Learn Modules	Visualization types in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz

Lesson 22 - Matrix Chart in Power BI Desktop

A matrix chart in Power BI Desktop is like a table that arranges data in rows and columns, showing a summarized view. It helps compare information, group data, and reveal patterns easily. By organizing data into rows and columns, makes it easier to see how things are connected, helping you understand and analyze information without it being too complicated. This chart allows for drilling down into details for a deeper insight into your data.

How to proceed?

Step 1 

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

 

Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Datasets to build great visuals

 Step 2

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

Step 3

Drag the data fields into “Field Section” that you want to analyze using Matrix chart.  

Rows: In a matrix chart, rows act like horizontal categories, sorting and displaying different types of information. Each row represents a specific group or item, allowing for easy comparison and analysis across various categories. 

Also, you can add subcategories or further breakdowns under each row. This feature allows for a more detailed analysis by expanding the information within each row, helping to explore and comprehend data relationships within specific categories. 

Here, I dragged’ Region’ and ‘Medal’. Each country's medal count—gold, silver, and bronze—is displayed under its respective region, showing how many medals each country has won in different categories.

Columns: Columns are used to categorize and display data vertically. They typically represent different attributes, time periods, or additional breakdowns of information. Each column represents specific data or values, allowing for comparisons and analysis across various attributes, providing a comprehensive view of the dataset.

I dragged ‘Year’ field into columns to compare the medals won by countries across different years. This arrangement helps to see how each country's medal count changes over various years.

Values: The "Values" displays the data based on the intersection of rows and columns.

Here, I dragged ‘Medal Count’ in value field. It shows the count of medals for each region categorized by gold, silver, bronze.

Step 4

Filters in a matrix chart enable users to narrow down or refine the displayed data by specific criteria.

Row-wise, I used filters to display only the top 10 regions based on their total medal counts. This setting helps focus on the regions that have the highest number of medals, making the information more manageable and highlighting the most significant data.

Column-wise, I filtered the "Year" column between 2000 and 2016 to compare medal counts across regions during this period. This helps in focusing the analysis on specific years and observing how the medal counts for different regions change over that time span.

Step 5

Customize the appearance.

You can customize the appearance of the visual.  You can change Title, Font size, Style, Colors and Data labels. Click anywhere on the visual and set the below properties in the Format section.

Refer Lesson 6 - Formatting the visuals in Power BI Desktop

The "Row headers" option in the format pane of the matrix visual permits adjusting the text attributes in
rows, including size, alignment, background color, and more.

Additionally, within the format pane, you have the capability to customize the color and size of the expand (+) and collapse (-) icons, which are used to reveal or hide subcategories in the matrix chart.

"Stepped layout" organizes data hierarchically, displaying it in a structured, multi-level format. The "stepped layout" option can be toggled on or off based on your preference or requirements. Users have the ability to set the indentation level within the stepped layout, adjusting the visual presentation of the data hierarchy.

In the format options of a matrix visual, you can find settings for column subtotals and row subtotals. These settings enable the inclusion or exclusion of subtotals for columns and rows, allowing you to control the display of aggregated values at those levels in the matrix.

Column grand total and row grand total options enable users the ability to format the displayed values according to their preferences or requirements.

Specific column offers the capability to customize and format individual columns based on specific preferences or criteria.

Cell elements-You have the ability to customize the background color of values within the matrix chart based on specific conditions such as maximum or minimum values. Additionally, you can modify font colors, apply data bars, and more, offering various ways to visually represent the data.

In this case, I selected distinct background colors to distinguish between the minimum and maximum values of medal counts. This visual distinction can make it easier to spot the most and least significant values in the data.

Step 6

Save the visual

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

When to use Matrix visual?

You can use Matrix visual for following scenarios.

• When you need to compare data across multiple categories or attributes.
• Use the matrix visual for in-depth analysis by expanding or collapsing rows and columns to focus on specific data segments.
• Perfect for hierarchically organizing data, grouping by region, time, or various dataset levels.

Pros

• It supports multi-level grouping, the matrix visual provides a comprehensive view of the dataset, which can be advantageous when handling smaller sets of data.
• Quickly summarizes and adds up values across rows and columns for easier understanding.

Cons

• Too much information shown in the matrix can confuse users and make it hard for them to concentrate on particular details.
• When compared to more visually appealing charts, the matrix visual might seem less engaging or attractive due to its less graphical nature.

Conclusion

Matrix visual is a useful tool for understanding data with its organized structure and ability to dig deep into information. While great for smaller datasets, it can get a bit overwhelming with larger ones. Knowing what the matrix chart is good at and where it might have some difficulties can help users use it effectively to understand data better and make informed decisions.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	How to Use Matrix in Power BI - Zebra BI
MS Learn Modules	Visualization types in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz

Lesson 21 - Pie Chart in Power BI Desktop

A pie chart is a colorful and simple way to display information. It's like a circular pie that's cut into different slices, and each slice represents a part of the whole. These slices show you the proportions and differences between categories in your data.

Pie charts are like visual summaries that turn complex data into easy-to-understand slices of information.

How to proceed?

Step 1

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

Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Datasets to build great visuals

Step 2

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

Step 3

Drag the data fields into “Field Section” that you want to analyze.  

Legend- It is used to label and describe the segments or slices in the pie chart, helping viewers to understand what each part represents – Season

Values- Represent the proportion or percentage of each category relative to the whole – Number of Sports.

Step 4

Customizing the appearance 

Click anywhere on the visual and set the below properties in the Format section.

Refer Lesson 6 - Formatting the visuals in Power BI Desktop

Customizing the legend is the key part of the Pie chart since it provides information about the data being displayed.

You can adjust the position of the legend, font size, style and color or you can hide it if the data labels are already on the chart.

In this demo, I chose “Top Right Stacked position” to show the legend.

Slices refer to the individual segment or part of the Pie chart that can be customized separately. You can give colors of your choice to each slice.

Detail Label refer to the data label which display exact value of each category.

Rotation refers to the ability to change the angle or orientation of the Pie chart. Rotating a pie chart is useful for improving its visual clarity and emphasis.

Step 5

Save the visual

Finally, your Pie chart is ready. Click save button to save the visual.

When to use Pie chart?

You can use Pie charts for following scenarios.

• When you have only a few clear and separate categories that you want to show and tell apart easily.
• When you want to explain how different sections make up the whole thing, showing how big each section is compared to the entire thing.

Pros

• Pie charts provide an easy-to-understand visual representation of proportions within a whole.
• Pie charts effectively communicate the percentage contribution of each category to the whole.
• Ideal for small datasets which has minimal number of distinct categories.
• Pie charts are visually appealing and grab users’ attention.

Cons

• Pie charts won’t be suitable when there are lots of different categories, because it looks messy and hard to figure out.
• It will be bit challenging for users to compare multiple pie charts side by side due to varying angles and proportions.
• Adding data labels to each slice can lead to overcrowding and gives chaotic appearance.

Conclusion

Pie charts serves as visual storytellers, breaking down complex data into digestible slices that instantly reveal the relationship between parts and the whole. Their simple and quick way of showing information makes them a popular pick for explaining how things are divided and put together.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	How to Create a Pie Chart in Power BI? (with Example) (wallstreetmojo.com)
MS Learn Modules	Visualization types in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz

Lesson 20 - Table chart in Power BI Desktop

A table chart is a graphical representation of data or information organized in rows and columns. It is an effective way of displaying data in organized manner.

How to proceed?

Step 1

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

Refer Lesson 7 - Power BI Datasets to build great visuals

Step 2

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

Step 3

Drag the data fields into “Field Section “that you want to analyze using the Table chart.

Column- Specific type of information or data attribute you want to display. It determines the type of information to be organized into table’s column.

In this demo, I dragged participants name, country which they belong to and the number of gold medals they won in 120 years of Olympic history. 

The table chart displays all the participants name who won gold medal. In order to display top 15 participants who won most gold medals apply filters.

Step 4

Filters are used to display selective data based on specific criteria or conditions, making your data analysis more focused and meaningful.

Here, I applied filters to show only gold medals in the "Medal" field and used a "Top N" filter on the "Name" field to display the top 15 participants in a table chart.

The "By Value" option in a filter enables you to set filter conditions by directly specifying particular values from a column or field in your dataset. This table chart displays the top 15 participants based on the count of gold medals won, with the count of medals serving as the filtering criterion.

Step 5

Customizing the appearance of Table chart

The "Grid" option in the Format Pane allows you to control the appearance of gridlines within the table.

Gridlines are the horizontal and vertical lines that separate cells in the table. You are allowed to adjust the width and color of the gridlines.

Refer Lesson 6 - Formatting the visuals in Power BI Desktop

Border- The "Section" in the border option determines where the border lines should appear within the table. This option includes Column header, Value section, Total section.

The "Border" option also includes settings for defining the position, color, and width of the lines appear in the table chart.

Additional formatting options for the table chart encompass various aspects such as customizing column headers, managing totals, adjusting specific column cell elements, incorporating URL icons, controlling image sizes, and ensuring accessibility features.

Step 6 

 Save the visual

Finally, your Table chart is ready. Click save button to save the visual.

When to use Table chart?

You can use Table chart for following scenarios.

• Table charts are used to display detailed information such as customer details, product details.
• Table charts enables users to sort data based on specific criteria.
• When you want to show different data types in a single visual, you can use table chart.

Pros

• Table charts neatly organize information for easy reading and clear presentation.
• Table chart can manage various types of data, including text, numbers, and dates.
• Table charts are useful for verifying and examining data for accuracy and compliance. 

Cons

• Tables can be less engaging than charts or pictures and may become confusing when there's a lot of data.
• Table chart occupies lot of space. If you ae not having enough space, they might not fit well.
• For complex data with numerous columns, table charts can become overwhelming and hard to understand.

Conclusion

Table charts offers a robust way to display detailed data but are best used in conjunction with other visualizations to convey key insights effectively. Their strengths lie in data validation and comprehensive information presentation.

Tags	Power BI
Useful links	Power BI Table Vs. Matrix visualizations - Power BI Docs
MS Learn Modules	Visualization types in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Test Your Knowledge	Quiz