Basic Storytelling With Data Notions (BN) for Power BI

Make your metrics sing, your audience nod, and your stakeholders take action.

TL;DR

Storytelling in Power BI = clear question → north-star metric → visual beats → guided interactions → explicit next steps. Build with BN-Notions below and use bookmarks, drillthrough, tooltips, and field parameters to choreograph the journey. Ship a template (.pbit) so your team repeats wins on autopilot.

What’s inside

The BN Framework (10 Notions)

Think of BN as the product design system for data narratives. Use these like Lego blocks; don’t skip steps.

BN-01: Business Question

Frame one sharp question. Example: “Are we hitting weekly install velocity in Hyderabad?”

BN-02: North-Star Metric

Pick one KPI that rules them all, +2 supporting KPIs max. Color = status, not decoration.

BN-03: Narrative Arc

Context → Trend → Why → What next. Each page = one beat, each visual = one sentence.

BN-04: Numbers

Single source of truth via measures. No rogue calcs. Name like [NSM YoY %].

BN-05: Navigation

Field parameters, synced slicers, and buttons to guide eyes, not overwhelm brains.

BN-06: Nudges

Annotations, conditional formatting, small multiples. Subtle but decisive.

BN-07: Nuance

Segment by persona, region, or cohort. Avoid averages that lie.

BN-08: Next Actions

Close with decisions: “Increase spend in Zone-4” or “Trigger outreach.”

BN-09: Notes & Trust

Data source, refresh time, filters applied. Zero mystery, high credibility.

BN-10: New Loops

Instrument feedback and iterate. Dashboards are living systems.

Power BI Playbook: From Brief to Wow

  1. Kickoff (BN-01/02): Write a one-liner brief. Define NSM + two levers (e.g., Installs, Conversion, CAC).
  2. Modeling: Star schema; date table; disable Auto Date/Time; create a dedicated Measure Table with display folders.
  3. Measure First: Define base measures, then derived (MTD/QTD/YTD, YoY). Keep formatting and units consistent.
  4. Layout Wireframe: Grid 12-column; top row = KPI cards; mid = trend + contributors; bottom = actions.
  5. Visuals: Line for trend; clustered bar for rank; waterfall for movement; KPI card for NSM; small multiples for cohorts.
  6. Interactions: Report page tooltips, drillthrough for “why,” bookmarks for guided tour; synced slicers for persona/region.
  7. Trust: Add a mini “About this data” card with source, refresh, filter state.
  8. Ship: Publish to an App with role-based Audiences; set subscriptions/alerts; capture feedback.

Visual Grammar That Sells the Story

Use Cards Sparingly

3–5 KPI cards max. Add target & delta badges. Color = meaning (green good, amber watch, red act).

Waterfall = Movement

Explain the “why” behind change (drivers). Perfect for weekly variance reviews.

Small Multiples

Same scale, multiple cohorts. Avoid slicer roulette; show patterns side-by-side.

Decomposition Tree

Guided “why” analysis. Pre-seed the path; don’t dump the forest on users.

Interaction Recipes (Bookmarks • Drillthrough • Tooltips)

Guided Story via Bookmarks:

  1. Build “Scene 1/2/3” states (e.g., Overview → Trend → Drivers).
  2. Create Selection groups and bookmark each scene (data + display checked).
  3. Add a “Next” button with Action→Bookmark. That’s your slide deck inside Power BI.
Why-Page via Drillthrough:

  1. Add a dedicated page “Why This Changed.”
  2. Enable Drillthrough on fields like Region, Channel, Persona.
  3. Place a waterfall + ranked drivers. Users right-click → drillthrough for context.
Context via Report Page Tooltips:

  1. Create a small tooltip page (e.g., 320×240) with last-7-day sparkline + YoY badge.
  2. Set page as Tooltip. Assign to visuals that need micro-context.

DAX Patterns for Narrative KPIs

// Date intelligence
[NSM] = SUM(Facts[Installs])

[NSM MTD] =
CALCULATE([NSM], DATESMTD('Date'[Date]))

[NSM Previous MTD] =
CALCULATE([NSM], DATESMTD(DATEADD('Date'[Date], -1, YEAR)))

[NSM YoY %] =
DIVIDE([NSM MTD] - [NSM Previous MTD], [NSM Previous MTD])

// KPI status for conditional formatting
[NSM Target] = SELECTEDVALUE(Targets[MTD Target])
[NSM Delta %] = DIVIDE([NSM MTD] - [NSM Target], [NSM Target])

[NSM Status] =
SWITCH(TRUE(),
  [NSM Delta %] >= 0.05, 1,       // On fire
  [NSM Delta %] >= -0.02, 0,      // Watch
  -1                               // Act
)

// Return a hex color as measure for visuals that allow it
[NSM Color] =
SWITCH([NSM Status],
  1, "#2e7d32",  // green
  0, "#f9a825",  // amber
  "#c62828"      // red
)

Opinionated take: KPIs without a target are just vibes. Always pair actual, target, and delta. Color from a measure keeps your semantic layer in charge.

Layout, Color, Accessibility (Ship love to every user)

  • Grid: 12-column, consistent paddings. Above-the-fold = KPIs + 1 insight. No clutter.
  • Color semantics: Reserve saturated hues for status. Keep base visuals neutral.
  • Typography: Title 20–24px, axis 11–12px, cards 18–20px. Decimal discipline (e.g., 1.2k not 1,234 when zoomed out).
  • Accessibility: Alt text for key visuals, tab order, sufficient contrast, avoid red/green only signals.
  • Localization: Date formats, currency symbols, and number separators tuned to your audience.

Performance & Trust

Fast by Design

Summarize in Power Query; prefer measures over calculated columns; avoid bi-directional unless justified; incremental refresh on big facts.

The Trust Panel

Add a compact card: “Source: … • Last refresh: … • Filters: Region=Hyderabad, Persona=Employer.” Kill ambiguity.

Change Log

A tiny text box with “What’s new” keeps users looped in and reduces Slack pings.

Ship It: Distribution, Adoption, Template

  1. App & Audiences: Publish to a Power BI App. Create audiences (Exec, Ops, Field). Tailor landing pages.
  2. Automation: Alerts on NSM, email subscriptions for weekly beats, Teams comments for context.
  3. Adoption: 3-slide “How to read this dashboard” embedded on Page-0. 2-min Loom-style walkthrough linked.
  4. Template (.pbit): Store the layout, color rules, measure scaffolding, and bookmark flows. New reports = plug data, not reinvent.

Opinionated Starter Kit (Copy/Paste Checklist)

  • Create tables: Date (marked), DimRegion, DimPersona, Facts.
  • Add Measure Table: NSM, MTD, YoY, Target, Delta, Status, Color.
  • Layout page: top KPIs (cards with delta), line trend with target band, waterfall for variance, ranked bar for drivers, “Next Actions” text box.
  • Interactions: report page tooltip, drillthrough “Why,” three bookmarks (Overview, Trend, Drivers) with Next/Back buttons.
  • Trust panel: data source, refresh time, filters applied.
  • Publish to App with Exec/Ops audiences; set alerts and a Monday 9am subscription.

Hot take:
Dashboards don’t fail because of DAX; they fail because there’s no storyline. Lead with BN. Everything else is tactics.

Build like a product manager, write like a poet, and measure like an accountant. Your data deserves a standing ovation.

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