Cheat Codes to Beautiful Power BI Reports
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
Not a designer? No problem. Skip the struggle and learn the "cheat codes" for professional Power BI reports. Discover layout blueprints, formatting shortcuts, and hidden features to turn cluttered data into clean, high-impact dashboards fast.
Session Details
Let’s be honest: not every Power BI developer, Data Engineer is a "natural-born" graphic designer. Many of us are great to provide data, but when it comes to making a report look professional, we feel stuck or we lack time. We’ve all seen those stunning dashboards on LinkedIn and wondered, "How do they make it look so easy?"
The secret is that you don't need "talent"—you just need the right cheat codes.
This session is designed specifically for the non-designer. We are focussing on easy tricks how to get fast good-looking simple report. I will show you how to transform cluttered, confusing reports into clean, high-impact dashboards using proven cheat codes and hidden Power BI features.
In this session, we will cover:
• Layout blueprints: A simple, repeatable strategy to organize your visuals so the report looks clean and organized.
• Easy techniques: How to optimize your visuals with easy tricks to make them clearer and visual appealing.
• Visual Shortcuts: Utilizing themes, conditional formatting, and standard templates to achieve a "pro look" in half the time.
Stop guessing where to put your charts and start building reports that look clean from the start. Whether you consider yourself "creatively challenged" or just want to speed up your design process, this session will give you the toolkit to build beautiful, functional reports every single time.
The secret is that you don't need "talent"—you just need the right cheat codes.
This session is designed specifically for the non-designer. We are focussing on easy tricks how to get fast good-looking simple report. I will show you how to transform cluttered, confusing reports into clean, high-impact dashboards using proven cheat codes and hidden Power BI features.
In this session, we will cover:
• Layout blueprints: A simple, repeatable strategy to organize your visuals so the report looks clean and organized.
• Easy techniques: How to optimize your visuals with easy tricks to make them clearer and visual appealing.
• Visual Shortcuts: Utilizing themes, conditional formatting, and standard templates to achieve a "pro look" in half the time.
Stop guessing where to put your charts and start building reports that look clean from the start. Whether you consider yourself "creatively challenged" or just want to speed up your design process, this session will give you the toolkit to build beautiful, functional reports every single time.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Master Layout Blueprints
Apply Rapid Design Hacks
Boost Visual Clarity
Speakers
Dominik Leu's other proposed sessions for 2026
The good, the bad, the ugly with Power BI agentic development - 2026