---
id: analytics-power-bi-design-en
service: Power BI
website: https://www.microsoft.com/power-platform/products/power-bi
category: analytics
document: DESIGN.MD
source_prompt: analytics-power-bi-representative-en
language: en
generated: 2026-07-18
---

# Power BI DESIGN.MD

> Use this DESIGN.MD as the persistent design standard before building a Data analytics site or app. It can be given directly to designers, frontend engineers, AI builders, and coding agents. Power BI is an information-architecture reference only.

## Purpose

- Power BI: https://www.microsoft.com/power-platform/products/power-bi
- Data analytics: metric exploration and decision-making
- metrics, charts, and segments
- context, comparison, and data freshness
- analytics

## Design brief

Create an original product that supports metric exploration and decision-making. Make metrics, charts, and segments easy to scan, compare, and act on. Treat context, comparison, and data freshness as a primary design constraint. Starting direction: operational console · analytical and precise · high information density · project navigation -> key metrics -> operations table or logs -> response action · #F2C811 · Power BI.

## Public interface design analysis

- Reference basis: These are recurring visual and structural patterns from public landing screens and representative task flows. Verify the current live capture because services change over time.
- Interface archetype: operational console
- Tone and manner: analytical and precise
- Information density: high
- Color strategy: restrained brand accents on neutral surfaces (#F2C811)
- Navigation model: sidebar-led context switching
- Structural sequence: project navigation -> key metrics -> operations table or logs -> response action
- Reusable patterns: metric row, date control, chart panel, segment filter, data table
- Independent application rule: Use the order and decision principles only. Do not reproduce logos, copy, imagery, icons, or proprietary screen composition.

## Screen architecture

- Global navigation with clear current location and account state
- Overview that exposes the next important action for metrics, charts, and segments
- Search, filter, sort, or segmented views only where they reduce decision cost
- Detail view that keeps context, status, evidence, and the primary action together
- Persistent help, recovery, privacy, and safety access for context, comparison, and data freshness

## Design tokens

```css
:root {
  --color-primary: #F2C811;
  --color-ink: #17201D;
  --color-canvas: #F6F8F7;
  --color-surface: #FFFFFF;
  --color-tint: #F2C81122;
  --color-danger: #DC2626;
  --radius-control: 6px;
  --radius-card: 8px;
  --space-1: 4px; --space-2: 8px; --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px; --space-6: 24px; --space-8: 32px;
  --content-reading: 720px;
  --content-wide: 1280px;
}
```

## Component specifications

- Navigation: active, hover, focus, disabled, and collapsed states
- Cards and rows: stable dimensions, realistic content, metadata hierarchy, and complete click targets
- Forms: labels, descriptions, validation, error summary, progress, and recovery
- Actions: one clear primary action per region; icon buttons require accessible names and tooltips
- Feedback: inline status, toast, banner, skeleton, progress, confirmation, and destructive-action dialog

## State design

For every data-driven region, define loading, empty, partial-data, stale, error, offline, permission-denied, disabled, saving, and success states. Keep layout dimensions stable so state changes do not shift surrounding content.

## Responsive rules

- 360px: one primary column, no horizontal page scroll, 44px touch targets
- 768px: preserve context with two panes only when each pane remains readable
- 1280px and above: constrain reading width and use extra space for comparison or persistent context
- Never scale type with viewport width; wrap long labels and localize for text expansion

## Accessibility requirements

- Semantic landmarks and heading order
- Complete keyboard operation with visible focus
- WCAG AA contrast in all states
- Programmatic labels, descriptions, errors, and live regions
- 200% zoom, reduced motion, forced colors, and screen-reader verification

## Design instruction for AI builders

```text
Design an original Data analytics interface for [Product name]. Its goal is metric exploration and decision-making; its core objects are metrics, charts, and segments; its critical risk is context, comparison, and data freshness. Use the token system and screen rules in this document. Specify realistic content, component contracts, all data states, responsive behavior, accessibility, and acceptance criteria. Do not copy Power BI's logo, proprietary copy, images, or exact layout.
```

## Completion checklist

- [ ] The critical path for metric exploration and decision-making is obvious without explanation
- [ ] metrics, charts, and segments have clear hierarchy, status, and actions
- [ ] context, comparison, and data freshness has prevention and recovery
- [ ] Mobile, tablet, desktop, keyboard, screen reader, zoom, and reduced motion are verified
- [ ] Loading, empty, error, offline, partial, permission, and success states are complete
- [ ] No protected brand asset or pixel-level layout from Power BI is reproduced