Designing Power BI Reports with Purpose: Explanatory, Not Exploratory

One of the biggest challenges in creating Power BI reports is resisting the urge to overcomplicate them. The first question I always ask myself is: Is this report meant to be exploratory or explanatory?

An exploratory report is for data enthusiasts like us—it’s where we dive deep, analyze trends from every angle, and explore what the data might reveal. But while that’s valuable for analysis, it doesn’t necessarily serve the end user.

An explanatory report, on the other hand, is built to communicate insights clearly. It removes distractions so users can focus on what matters most.

Eliminating noise from your reports allows what’s truly important to stand out.

Start with the User

Before designing visuals, ask yourself:

• What questions does my end user need answered?
• What insights should they gain?
• What actions should this report help them take?

Keeping these questions front and center helps streamline your design decisions. Show data only where it supports key points and keep visuals clean and purposeful. Every chart should have a clear reason to exist—guiding attention, not competing for it.

Simplify with Intention

Data without context is meaningless, and reports that try to show everything often create confusion and inaction. One of the most powerful things you can do is to keep it simple—but intentional.

Simplicity doesn’t mean less information; it means focused communication. Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to include. Overloading users with data forces them to decide what matters—when that’s your job as the report designer.

When you understand your users’ questions and design visuals that guide them toward answers, your Power BI reports transform from cool visuals into decision-making tools.