Data Visualization with Microsoft Power BI: How to Design Savvy Dashboards - Softcover

Kolokolov, Alex; Zelensky, Maxim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1098152786 ISBN 13: 9781098152789

Publisher: O'Reilly Media, 2024

Synopsis

The first book that delivers data viz best practices precisely for Power BI

This practical guide shows how to quickly create visualizations and build savvy dashboards, with 25 chapters that explore different chart types plus 40 visuals from the AppSource gallery, from default to advanced, all over 400 color pages.

Key features:

• Beautiful examples of charts, along with specific use cases
• Step-by-step instruction on how to set up visuals in the app
• Data preparation tips and tricks
• Quizzes to consolidate the learning material

Data Visualization with Microsoft Power BI is suitable for both experienced data analysts and nontechnical professionals in finance, sales, and marketing. Here's what's inside:

• Part 1: Classic visuals. Discover how to choose charts for basic types of analysis and avoid common mistakes, then learn how to set up interactions and put visuals together on a dashboard.
• Part 2: Trusted advanced visuals. Explore different options and data requirements for charts and diagrams including waterfall, bullet, Gantt, tornado, funnel, Sankey, and more.
• Part 3: Risky advanced visuals. Consider eye-catching charts that nonetheless may confuse the average user, examine use cases, and understand how to avoid pitfalls or suggest simpler alternatives.

You get "two in one":

• Data viz best practices, based on know-how cultivated over 15 years in the field of business intelligence
• Technical expertise along with clear guides and shortcuts derived from 300+ dashboards developed

About this title

About the Authors

Alex Kolokolov is an expert in Business Intelligence and dashboards. He is CEO and founder of Data2Speak Incorporated, a company providing data analytics services and consulting.

Alex has taught in MBA programs in the USA as part of the Fulbright Program at Florida Atlantic University and Key West University. With over 15 years of practice, Alex has set up hundreds of management reports in production, banks, and trading companies; he's experienced with software from Microsoft, Qlik, Tableau, and IBM. Based on this experience, he describes universal rules for visualization and working with the requirements of business customers.

Maxim Zelensky, PhD, is a Power BI consultant at Intelligent Business. He is a renowned Microsoft Power BI expert, with a wide range of interests and experience in Microsoft BI and Excel tools. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, and purchasing, Maxim's knowledge of various business aspects and models allows him to offer solutions that best meet the real needs of the business. Maxim started studying Power Query and Power BI in 2015. He spent a lot of time investigating different aspects of these tools and became one of the most recognized Power BI experts, which led to him being nominated for the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award. He earned this award in 2018-2022, confirming his level of expertise, community influence, and knowledge sharing

From the Inside Flap

"I have been involved in business intelligence projects since 2009, working with various BI platforms such as Power BI, Qlik, Tableau, and Cognos. I began my career as a data analyst, progressing to roles as a project lead and team lead. Eventually, I founded a company providing consulting and services in the field of data analytics.

My career progression was promoted by my ability to deal with customer requirements, especially when it came to reports. I could grasp what they wanted to see in a report and figure out how to present the data in a clear, understandable, and user-friendly manner. This skill was essential to me since university; I enjoyed designing presentations, drawing business process diagrams, and creating pixel-perfect charts.

Initially, I was puzzled by why it seemed so challenging for others. However, I later discovered that for experienced analysts and data engineers, visualization was entirely unnecessary. They comprehend the data structure, and the relationships are evident to them simply through tables. They genuinely don't understand the need for all these pie charts and graphs.

But on the other hand, visualization is crucial for business users. They initially need a visual representation of key indicators, and then they delve into the details. I trained my team in this skill: which types of data require specific charts and how to compose them into dashboards. I also educated our clients and developed guides to empower them to proficiently create reports in a self-service mode.

It's not enough to draw a visually appealing dashboard layout. It's crucial to understand the anatomy of diagrams and how they will be implemented in a specific BI tool.
My favorite tool is undoubtedly Power BI. It has undergone remarkable evolution, becoming part of the Microsoft Fabric ecosystem, where artificial intelligence provides incredible capabilities. Yet it remains user-friendly for a quick start, like its "parents"—PowerPoint and Excel pivot tables. You can read this book without a technical background and immediately apply the knowledge to create professional dashboards. Gradually, you can delve into advanced tools.

Certainly, AI will affect our analytical tasks, handling routine tasks and even suggesting insights. However, it's crucial not to forget the fundamental principles of data literacy. It's not just about following what your AI assistant suggests but making conscious choices. In this regard, books remain a reliable source of knowledge. I wish you an engaging reading experience!"

- Alex Kolokolov

Edition details

• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Publication date: 2024
• ISBN 10: 1098152786
• ISBN 13: 9781098152789
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 413