7 Power BI Design Mistakes That Make Your Reports Look Amateur

You've seen them. Reports that technically work but look like they were built in a rush. Misaligned visuals, rainbow colors, text running off the edges. These mistakes are common — and completely fixable.

1. Using Default Colors

Power BI's default blue is fine. But when every chart is the same default blue, your report looks generic. It signals "I didn't think about this."

Fix: Apply a theme. Pick 4-6 colors that work together. Use your organization's brand colors if appropriate. Consistency matters more than creativity. Try our Theme Generator to build a custom theme in minutes, or browse our curated color palettes for ready-to-use schemes.

2. Misaligned Visuals

Nothing says "amateur" like visuals that almost line up but don't. Edges that are 5 pixels off. Gaps that vary from visual to visual.

Fix: Use the alignment tools. Turn on gridlines. Snap to grid. Take the extra 2 minutes to make edges line up perfectly.

3. Too Many Visuals on One Page

More charts doesn't mean more insight. A page crammed with 12 visuals is overwhelming. Users don't know where to look, so they look nowhere.

Fix: Limit each page to 5-7 visuals maximum. If you need more, create additional pages with clear navigation. Let each visual breathe.

4. Inconsistent Formatting

One chart has data labels, another doesn't. One card shows two decimals, another shows none. Titles use different fonts. It's chaos.

Fix: Establish standards and stick to them. Same font everywhere. Same number formatting for similar metrics. Apply formatting with copy/paste to ensure consistency.

5. Truncated Labels and Titles

When your axis shows "Northea..." or your title says "Revenue by Prod..." users have to guess what you meant. It looks unfinished.

Fix: Resize visuals to fit their content. Shorten labels if needed. Abbreviate consistently. Never let text get cut off.

6. No Visual Hierarchy

When everything is the same size and weight, nothing is important. The eye wanders without direction.

Fix: Make key metrics bigger. Use larger titles for primary visuals. Push supporting details smaller or to the edges. Guide the viewer's attention intentionally. See our guide on dashboard layout patterns for hierarchy best practices.

7. Ignoring Whitespace

Cramming visuals edge-to-edge feels cluttered and stressful. Whitespace isn't wasted space — it's breathing room that makes content easier to consume.

Fix: Add margins around visuals. Leave space between sections. Group related items together with space separating groups. When in doubt, add more whitespace.

The Bottom Line

Design mistakes are credibility mistakes. Every misalignment, every default color, every truncated label chips away at how seriously people take your work. The good news: these are all easy fixes. Take the extra time. Make it polished.

Want a faster way to apply these patterns? Download the free BI Blueprint starter template.