Cards and KPIs

What You'll Learn

• Create card visuals
• Use multi-row cards
• Build KPI visuals
• Format for impact
• Best practices

Card Visual

Shows ONE number. BIG!

Perfect for:

• Total sales
• Customer count
• Any single metric
• Dashboard KPIs

Creating a Card

Steps:

1. Click Card icon
2. Drag measure to Fields
3. Done!

Example: Total Sales = SUM(Sales[Amount])

Formatting Cards

Format > Callout value:

• Font size (make it BIG!)
• Color
• Display units (K, M, B)
• Decimal places

Format > Category label:

• Show/hide title
• Text
• Font and color

Format > Background:

• Color
• Transparency
• Border

Format > Effects:

• Shadow
• Glow
• Border radius

Multi-Row Card

Shows MULTIPLE values in list.

Use for:

• Related metrics
• Grouped data
• Profile information
• Contact details

Creating Multi-Row Card

Steps:

1. Click Multi-row card icon
2. Drag multiple fields to Fields
3. Each field becomes a row

Example:

• Total Sales
• Total Orders
• Average Order Value
• Total Customers

Formatting Multi-Row Cards

Format > Data labels:

• Font and color
• Alignment

Format > Category labels:

• Show measure names
• Font style

Format > Card title:

• Each row can have separator

KPI Visual

Shows value + goal + trend indicator!

Components:

• Indicator: Current value
• Trend axis: Time dimension
• Target goals: What you're aiming for

Creating KPI Visual

Steps:

1. Click KPI icon
2. Drag measure to Indicator
3. Drag date to Trend axis
4. Drag target to Target goals

Example:

• Indicator: Total Sales
• Trend axis: Date
• Target: Sales Target

KPI Indicators

Shows:

• Current value
• % of goal
• Trend direction (up/down arrow)
• Sparkline (mini chart)

Colors:

• Green: Above target
• Red: Below target
• Amber: Warning threshold

Formatting KPIs

Format > Indicator:

• Font size and color
• Display units

Format > Trend axis:

• Show/hide sparkline
• Color

Format > Goals:

• Distance color (good/bad)
• On/off

Format > Color coding:

• Good color (green)
• Bad color (red)
• Warning % threshold

Advanced KPI Features

Custom Targets

Dynamic target: Create measure for target: Target = [Last Year Sales] * 1.1

Fixed target: Hard-coded number: Target = 1000000

Trend Line Types

Sparkline: Tiny line chart showing trend

Distance bar: Bar showing gap to target

Color Rules

Good: Above 100% of target

Neutral: 90-100% of target

Bad: Below 90% of target

Customize thresholds!

Design Best Practices

Cards

Make numbers HUGE: 80-120pt font size

Use icons: Add emoji or icon for context Total Sales with dollar icon

Limit per page: 3-5 key cards max

Group related: Sales metrics together

Consistent formatting: Same font, colors, sizes

Multi-Row Cards

Limit rows: 5-8 max per card

Group logically: Related metrics together

Alternating colors: Helps readability

KPIs

One per page: KPIs draw attention

Clear labels: "Monthly Sales" not just "Sales"

Set thresholds carefully: 90% might be good for some, bad for others

Show trend: Helps understand direction

Color Psychology

Green: Good, growth, success

Red: Danger, below target, urgent

Blue: Neutral, informational

Orange/Yellow: Warning, caution

Gray: Inactive, reference

Responsive Design

Mobile view: Cards work great on phones!

Sizing: Cards resize well

Touch-friendly: No hover required

Use Cases

Executive Dashboard

4 key cards:

• Revenue
• Profit
• Customers
• Orders

Sales Dashboard

KPIs:

• Monthly Sales (with target)
• Quarterly Revenue
• Annual Growth

Operations

Multi-row card:

• Orders pending
• Orders shipped
• Orders delivered
• Orders cancelled

Try This Exercise

Create a metrics section:

1. 3 cards showing:

   • Total Revenue
   • Total Orders
   • Average Order Value

2. 1 KPI showing:

   • Monthly Sales
   • vs Last Year
   • with trend line

3. Format all cards:

   • Large font (80pt+)
   • Background color
   • Shadow effects

4. Arrange in row at top of page

Common Mistakes

Too small: Cards with tiny numbers defeat purpose!

Too many: 10 cards = confusing

No context: "245" means nothing without label

Unclear targets: KPI target unclear or unrealistic

Wrong colors: Red for good, green for bad

Interactions

Cards don't filter: Usually set to not filter other visuals

Cards get filtered: Still respond to slicers

Click through: Can enable drill through from cards

Troubleshooting

KPI shows "N/A":

• Check target measure exists
• Verify trend axis is date
• Ensure data in date range

Card shows wrong number:

• Check measure formula
• Verify filter context
• Test with table visual first

Multi-row card too long:

• Limit fields
• Use filters
• Create multiple cards

Next Steps

Now let's learn about Slicers and Filters to make reports interactive!

Tip: Cards are for the most important numbers. If it's not critical, don't make it a card!