Design for mobile devices

1. Design for mobile devices

In this final lesson, we will see how we can use Power BI's mobile layout to improve the visual experience for phone users.

2. The importance of mobile layout

This is our Over Budget report page on an Android phone using the Power BI mobile app. This view doesn't look terrible, but we can see some wasted space due to screen rotation and resolution differences compared to a desktop. By contrast, a mobile-optimized layout makes much better use of screen space.

3. The mobile layout

The mobile layout in Power BI Desktop gives you access to a canvas, onto which we can drop, resize, and format visuals.

4. Zoom sliders

One feature which can make line charts much more helpful is the zoom slider. This feature allows you to narrow down the scope of a line chart. This is particularly helpful on mobile because phone gestures like pinch-zooming and swiping control the entirety of the canvas, not just one visual. With zoom sliders, you can narrow the slider range and move it around, letting a user see details in the line chart they might otherwise miss.

5. Mobile drillthrough

Mobile users can still use drill through to navigate to other pages. By long-clicking on an object, you can drill up, drill down, or drill through depending on the visual you select and what options the report designer set up. You can also navigate using the back button in the app and the page drop-down at the top of the screen.

6. Mobile layout capabilities

Let's talk about specific capabilities and limitations in the mobile view. You can choose the visuals you wish to display while building the mobile layout. You do not need to show all the visuals in the mobile layout. You can format visuals in the mobile layout separately from the desktop layout. When interacting with a mobile report, you can drill through to other pages, drill up or down, slice data, and cross-filter visuals, just like in the desktop experience. However, while working with Power BI Desktop, you cannot interact with the mobile layout view. The desktop app limits you to a static picture of the visual. You can only use the visuals you created in the desktop layout--you cannot add new visuals or shapes specifically for mobile. Finally, if a visual is hidden on the desktop view, it will also be hidden on the mobile view. Fortunately, bookmarks work the same on a desktop as on a mobile.

7. Bookmark navigator

The last thing we will look at is the bookmark navigator. This provides us an alternative to creating one button per bookmark. Instead, we can group together bookmarks and display all of the bookmarks in a group as buttons. This visual is particularly well-suited for the mobile layout so we will make use of it in the exercises.

8. Best practices for designing on mobile

Before we go, let's talk about some best practices for designing on mobile. Let's start with number one, prioritizing key metrics. Since screen real estate is limited on mobile, it's recommended not to add more than four key metrics, so we recommend finding the most important metrics to engage your user. Next, when adding these card metrics, summarize the display of the units to save space. Another great way to save space is by abbreviating measure names, such as Average Order Value being AOV for the metric. Next, implement focal point tracking. A popular approach to this is the Z layout, which is the web standard for design. It's where people focus at the top, scan through the middle, and read carefully at the end. It's like reading a book. Finally, consider the orientation of your visuals. Not all visuals look good on mobile the same way as on Desktop.

9. Let's practice!

Now that we have seen what the mobile layout is capable of, let's put it to good use.

Create Your Free Account

By continuing, you accept our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy and that your data is stored in the USA.