Improving User Experience on Power BI: Control Chart Visibility using a Slicer

In this article, we will explore how to detect whether a slicer has been filtered and leverage it as a control mechanism for when to show or hide charts. This approach enhances the user experience when navigating dashboards in Power BI.

Problem Statement:

Consider a dataset comprising 10 portfolios (Portfolio A — Portfolio J), with their daily prices recorded over a year, from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024, as shown below:

Daily Prices for 10 Portfolios (Data Source: Data randomly generated using ChatGPT for demonstration purposes)

Using a line chart to visualise the data creates a messy result, with many lines crossing over each other. This makes it hard for users to understand the chart or gain useful insights, as shown below:

Line chart displaying portfolio prices by month in 2024

To improve the user experience, we need to adjust the chart to only appear when at least one portfolio is selected from the list. This way, the line chart will display only the selected portfolio(s), helping users concentrate on the most relevant information for insight. To achieve this, we go through the following steps:

Step 1:

Create another table containing only the portfolios. To achieve this, duplicate the dataset imported via Power Query. Select the Portfolio column, right click on the column and choose ‘Remove Other Columns,’ after click the ‘Remove Duplicates’ option to obtain a unique list of portfolios. Finally, create a relationship between the two tables using the ‘Model View’

Portfolio table containing a unique list of portfolios

Model view showing a “many to one (*:1)” relationship between the two tables

Step 2:

Create a slicer and place the portfolio name column in the ‘Field’.
Note: Use the portfolio column from the unique list, not the portfolio column from the main table imported.

Slicer created with the list of Portfolios

Then create a DAX measure to check when the portfolio name has been filtered using the ISFILTERED function

Filtered = ISFILTERED(portfolios[Portfolio])

The measure will return True if at least one portfolio is chosen from the slicer, and False when the slicer is cleared and no portfolios are selected.

Measure returns True/False depending on filter on slicer

Step 3:

Create another visual called “Hide_Chart.” This will hide or show the line chart depending on the result of the “Filtered” measure. Then, add the “Hide_Chart” measure to “Filters on the visual”, setting it to “Show items when the value” is 1.

Hide_Chart = If([Filtered],1,0)

Line chart hidden when portfolio is not filtered

Step 4:

To avoid confusing users about why the charts are blank, it’s helpful to display a message informing them that they need to select at least one record from the slicer to view the chart. To achieve this, create a Measure using the following formula:

information = if([Filtered],"","Select at least a Portfolio to see chart")

Place the measure into a card visual, resizing it to match the dimensions of the line chart. Then, using the Selection Pane, ensure the card visual is positioned beneath the line chart in the layer order.

Chart layered with a card visual with information for users

Final Result:

Line chart showing visualisation for the selected portfolio

The line chart dynamically displays data for the selected portfolio, making it intuitive to understand. When no portfolio is selected, the chart is hidden, and a message informs users that at least one record must be selected. This enhances the user experience and makes the dashboard more engaging and insightful for end users.