Course Description

Power BI is a business analytics service provided by Microsoft that lets you visualize your data and share insights. It converts data from different sources to build interactive dashboards and Business Intelligence reports. This course focuses on leveraging the potential of Power BI to transform raw data into compelling narratives.

For example, you have some sales data in an Excel sheet. Using this data, Power BI helps you build different charts and graphs to visualize the data.

Power BI can help you craft the story you want to tell. With an intuitive dashboard that deciphers data and shares insights, you can present data-driven visualisations that support your narrative and influence your audience to make smarter decisions. Tell your data story your way to achieve your organisational goals, cement your business as an industry thought leader, and influence your audience to make a change.

This course will equip participants with the skills to craft insightful, audience-centric data stories using Power BI, blending analytical rigor with visual and narrative clarity.

Who Should Attend

This Power BI course is ideal for users who want to inform and influence people across their business by creating interactive data visualisations that tell a complete data story using Power BI.

Prerequisites

• Experience & knowledge of Microsoft Excel formulas and functions in data analysis & reporting.
• Access to the Power Query feature in Microsoft Excel. This course will include practical exercises that require participants to use Power Query.
• Access to Power BI software: participants will need to have Power BI installed on their computers. The course will include practical exercises that require participants to use Power BI.

Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Data Storytelling

• What is Data Storytelling?
• The difference between reporting and storytelling
• The psychology of visual perception and narrative engagement
• Audience-first thinking: tailoring stories to decision-makers

Module 2: Structuring Your Story Arc

• The classic narrative arc: setup, conflict, resolution
• Business storytelling frameworks (e.g., SCQA, Pyramid Principle)
• Identifying the “hero” metric and supporting cast
• Crafting a compelling call to action

Module 3: Designing for Clarity in Power BI

• Choosing the right visuals for the right message
• Avoiding clutter: layout, spacing, and hierarchy
• Color psychology and accessibility best practices
• Using bookmarks, tooltips, and drill-throughs to guide the story

Module 4: Building Interactive Dashboards That Tell a Story

• Slicers and filters as narrative tools
• Dynamic titles and conditional formatting
• Using DAX to create story-driven measures
• Layering insights: from overview to deep dive

Module 5: Humanizing the Data

• Adding context: annotations, commentary, and narrative text
• Integrating qualitative insights with quantitative visuals
• Designing for emotion and empathy in business contexts