Pattern decision guide

Native + report design

Answer what the user needs and get the native pattern that serves it.

Working example

What does the user need?

Recommended native pattern

Select a user need on the left to get the native pattern that serves it.

UX recommendation

Start from the user's question, not from the visual. If no native pattern answers it, that is the moment to discuss a custom or embedded solution — not after the design is signed off.

What it is

An interactive decision guide mapping user needs to native Power BI patterns.

When to use it

At the start of a page design, before choosing visuals.

Native Power BI capability

Guidance over the native pattern set.

UX considerations

Start from the user's question, not from the visual you like.

BI developer considerations

Push back when the requested pattern is not what the question needs.

QA considerations

Validate that the chosen pattern answers the stated question.

HTML prototype note

This interactive HTML example simulates the native Power BI behaviour. It is not Power BI itself and should not be interpreted as an implementation of the Power BI rendering engine.

Designer ↔ BI developer handoff

UX designer defines

Information hierarchy and column order
Required fields and measures
Default state (sort, filters, selection)
Interaction intent and what it should affect
Responsive priority and what may be dropped
Accessibility expectations and focus order
Empty, loading and error states

BI developer implements

Dataset fields, measures and relationships
Visual configuration in the format pane
Filters, sort order and interaction wiring
Drill-through / drill-down configuration
Conditional formatting rules
Row-level security and permissions
Query performance optimisation

QA validates

Data correctness against the source
Correct default state on first load
Sorting and filtering behaviour
Drill and selection behaviour
Permissions and row-level security
Empty states and responsive layout
Performance and export behaviour