Guide section 4 of 31
Power BI Architecture Relevant to UX
| Concept | Designer-level meaning | UX relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Report | A collection of pages connected to a semantic model. | The user experiences the report as an analytical product; page architecture matters. |
| Page | A configured report canvas containing visuals, controls and navigation. | Treat each page as a coherent analytical question, not as an arbitrary screen. |
| Semantic model | The governed data model feeding report visuals. | UX options depend on available fields, relationships and measures. |
| Measure | Calculated numeric/business logic evaluated in filter context. | KPI definitions, deltas, targets and conditional states should be defined, not implied by design. |
| Dimension | A field used to group, filter or slice a measure. | Dimensions define categories, drill paths and comparison structures. |
| Filter context | The active set of filters affecting a calculation or visual. | Visible state, scope and reset behavior are UX requirements. |
| Visual | A Power BI rendering/control unit. | Every visual should have a single analytical purpose and a known native implementation. |
| Visual interactions | How one visual affects others. | Specify cross-filter, cross-highlight or no interaction deliberately. |
| Drill-down/up | Movement through a hierarchy inside a visual. | Use for predictable levels such as Year → Quarter → Month. |
| Drillthrough | Navigation to a dedicated page with selected context. | Use for deeper contextual investigation and record-level evidence. |
| Bookmark | Saved report/page state. | Useful for controlled view states; avoid building an application framework from overlapping bookmarks. |
| Tooltip | Supplemental hover/focus context. | Do not place essential information only in a tooltip. |
| Field parameter | A native mechanism for letting users switch fields/measures in a visual. | Prefer for equivalent analytical view switching where it keeps the mental model clear. |
| Theme | Report-level JSON/default styling layer. | Use as a mapping from design-system decisions where Power BI supports the property. |
| Embedded Power BI | Power BI rendered inside an application/container. | The effective viewport, surrounding app navigation and application-level filters must be considered together. |