Overview
C5’s Data & AI consultants build Power BI reports that provide organisations with accurate, well-structured analysis. Once that analytical foundation is in place, I focus on improving the UX and applying client branding.
I improved the usability of data visualisations and dashboards by applying simple UX principles. I also applied client branding to ensure reports felt credible, consistent, and appropriate for enterprise use.
Approach
Each engagement followed a similar process, adapted to the client.
Work with the data consultants to understand the report, its audience, and the decisions it needed to support.
Evaluate existing visuals and select chart types that best represented the data with the least cognitive effort.
Refine interaction design: drill-downs, navigation, and how users moved between views.
Review the client's brand guidelines and visual identity.
Apply branding consistently across the report alongside the UX improvements.
Author Power BI theme files so future reports could carry the brand without designer involvement
Common issues included:
Overloaded pages with competing visuals.
Inconsistent visual hierarchy and navigation.
Charts that were technically accurate but visually too complex.
Limited alignment with client brand guidelines.
No scalable approach to styling future reports.
This was a recurring issue across teams and clients, rather than a problem with the underlying data or the intent of the analysis.
UX & Data visualisation
I applied the "5 Principles of Visual Design in UX" to restructure how data was presented, grouped, and prioritised across each report. Most of the work came down to reducing cognitive load.
I simplified layouts and clarified visual hierarchy so key metrics were easier to spot and understand quickly.
Where default chart types obscured the insight, I selected clearer alternatives that made the underlying pattern easier to read.
I refined interaction patterns, including drill-downs and report navigation, so users could move between views and reach the right insight without unnecessary effort.
Brand application
I applied each client’s brand guidelines consistently across reports, covering colour, typography, spacing, and overall visual tone.
This helped ensure reports felt coherent and professional when shared across teams and stakeholders.
Scalable theming
I created Microsoft Power BI theme files for each client so branding could be applied consistently across new reports and sub-reports.
Power BI theme files are limited to visual styling. They do not support layout, interaction design, or navigation, which must be defined within each report.
Where needed, established layouts and navigation patterns could be reused by duplicating pages or components from existing reports.
This allowed teams to carry forward proven design patterns, but required manual copying rather than automatic inheritance.
If a higher level of refinement was needed, reports could be passed back to me for further UX and visual work.
Team enablement
I developed and delivered a presentation on the role of UX and UI in Power BI for internal teams, data engineers, and clients.
The goal was to show how design decisions affect usability and trust, and to give teams practical guidance they could apply themselves.
Reflection
The underlying analysis in these reports was already solid. The gap was in how that work was presented and experienced.
My contribution was making the data easier to work with day to day: clearer layouts, more legible visuals, and navigation that helped people get to the insight they needed without friction.
By pairing that with consistent branding and reusable patterns, the quality of the reports held up as they were shared, reused, and extended across teams.
