Human-Centered BI: Designing Analytics Tools with Empathy.
Before launching Power BI or writing a line of DAX, there's a crucial question every data professional should consider:
Who are we designing this for?
Why does it matter to them?
Behind every report, dashboard, and so on, is a decision-maker, a team, or an individual trying to get something done. The first stage of the design thinking process, Empathise, is where meaningful analytics work begins. It shifts the focus from what data we have, to what people actually need.
Why Empathy Belongs in Every Power BI Project
Power BI can deliver amazing insights. But when dashboards are built around data availability instead of user goals, they often miss the mark. You end up with polished visuals that look impressive but rarely get used.
Empathy changes that. It means stepping out of our assumptions and into our users day-to-day. Who are they? What kind of decisions are they trying to make? Where are the pain points? These aren’t things we can guess, they come from honest and open conversations.
Start by Listening
Every successful BI project starts with discovery. Not just technical requirements—the human context.
Stakeholder Interviews: Sit down with decision-makers, analysts, and frontline staff. What do they need to see? What isn’t working today?
Contextual Observation: If possible, watch them work. What tools are they juggling? Where does reporting slow them down?
Surveys & Polls: When working at scale, get broader input on how current reports are performing.
These early moments are where trust is built—and where the real insight begins.
Build Personas That Reflect Reality
From these conversations, you can build out simple personas to guide your work. Not just generic roles, but real-world stand-ins for actual users:
Amelia, Sales Director: Wants fast, visual summaries of pipeline health and forecast accuracy.
Jacob, Operations Analyst: Needs deep-dive tables and the ability to drill by team or region.
Sarah, CFO: Prioritises financial accuracy, dislikes clutter, and wants everything Excel-exportable.
Personas provide you with a mental model—so you're not designing in the dark.
Map the Reporting Journey
Journey maps help visualise how people interact with data today and highlight where it could be better:
What prompts their need for data?
What steps do they take to access or understand it?
Where are the delays, detours, or frustrations?
For example, if sales teams are pulling weekly reports into Excel manually, there's a clear opportunity to streamline and automate.
Why Empathy is a Strategic Move
Empathy isn’t just a soft skill—it’s a strategic advantage. When BI solutions reflect real needs:
Adoption goes up
Users make faster, more confident decisions
Support requests go down
Business and IT stay aligned
Empathy makes your data work useful. And useful is what gets remembered—and used.