Click here to go to the “Adventure Works Products” dashboard.
This is an interesting project. I downloaded a template from Power BI Tips and Tricks. I reverse engineered the dashboard by deconstructing the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen. I was able to determine that there is a .png for the background (with drop shadows built in using a graphics program.) On each of the four category squares, there is a text box, a card, and an overlaying shape that has its bookmark navigation turned on. Each page (5) of the dashboard has a bookmark in place.
Each sub-page has the same set-up, except that only the card for that page remains visible. Also, on the sub-pages, the colors are muted for the pages that are not in focus. There is a page filter on each sub-page, so that only the specific category for that page is represented. There are also filters (TOPN) on the visuals to cut down on the details. An interesting aspect of this project was learning how to keep the filters turned on when navigating by bookmark between pages.
In building this dashboard, I found and corrected a few charts did not follow the category colors; i.e. Bikes are always represented by red. As I did not wish to use the original .png due to a visible trademark, I created my own background for the main page, and copied it for each sub-page. I also added a “back” icon to each page. Finally, each sub-page is hidden.
Transferable Concepts: Using a navigation bar that has various colors which are lighter (as well as removing the card with product data) to signify which products are not pertinent to each sub-page allows for a very intuitive understanding on where one is in the dashboard. This navigation technique allows hiding the sub-pages, and not having to use the default “x of n pages” at the bottom of the dashboard. This notation is then no longer displayed. Using shapes which are transparent and yet contain the “action” navigation to the bookmark is also impressive.
All in all, time well spent working on this dashboard. The study of the question, “How is that done?” led to interesting discoveries.
Nathaniel Cohen 