See It, Get It: Using Eye-Scanning Patterns in Power BI Design

Have you ever opened a report and felt completely lost, like you didn’t know where to look first or what the story was supposed to be? I’ve definitely been there. I could sense something was off with the layout, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

That all shifted when I learned about eye-scanning patterns like the F-pattern and Z-pattern. Total game-changer. It was one of those “aha!” moments that completely shifted how I think about report design. Once I understood how people’s eyes naturally move across a page, I started applying that to my Power BI dashboards, and wow, what a difference. Suddenly, things just made sense. I was able to guide users straight to the key insights without making them work for it.

If you’ve never come across eye-scanning patterns before, don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this post, I’ll walk you through what they are and how they can help you make your reports more user-friendly and accessible.

Designing for How People Actually See

Design is also about understanding how the human brain sees, scans, and interprets data. If we align our dashboards with these natural perception patterns, they become instantly easier to understand and navigate.

Eye-scanning patterns describe the natural way our eyes process visual content. When we read text-heavy documents or scan a dashboard for key insights, our eyes follow predictable routes. Understanding these helps guide attention to the most important information, making it easier to absorb key insights without feeling overwhelmed.

Usually, when we’re working with content-heavy pages, the F-pattern tends to work better. But if we’re designing a cleaner, more minimal layout, the Z-pattern can feel more natural. Choosing the right one depends on how our content is structured. See below the F and Z patterns.

You might be thinking: “If these eye-scanning patterns happen naturally, how can I design around them on purpose?” That’s exactly what I wondered too, and once I figured it out, things really started to click. Let’s walk through a few practical ways we can apply them in Power BI.

Typography & Visual Hierarchy

Have you ever opened a dashboard and immediately spotted the most important bit because the title just stood out? That’s no accident. In my own reports, I’ve found that using clear headings, subheadings, and consistent labels makes a huge difference. Not only does it guide the user’s eyes to logical entry points, it’s also essential for accessibility. Screen reader users rely on those text structures to make sense of the layout.

I try to keep fonts consistent, use spacing to separate sections, and place text where people naturally look first. These small tweaks make reports easier to scan and way less overwhelming.

Colour That Does More Than Look Pretty

Colour can be your best friend when it comes to directing attention, if you use it wisely. I like to use high-contrast colours to highlight key insights, and a pop of accent colour to draw the eye to something like a KPI. But here’s the thing: not everyone sees colour the same way, so accessibility has to come first. To make sure my colour choices are inclusive, I follow WCAG guidelines:

• 4.5:1 contrast ratio for body text vs. background (font size up to 17 pts.)
• 3:1 contrast for large text and non-text elements (font size above 18 pts., or if in bold, above 14 pt.s)
• And I always make sure colour isn’t the only way I’m communicating something.

If this is something you want to dive deeper into, I’ve written more in these two posts:

The Crucial Role of Colour Contrast
Traffic Lights Out, Accessible Dashboards In!

White Space & Alignment: Less Really Is More

When I first started developing Power BI reports, I used to pack way too much into a single page, thinking more data = more value. But this approach is dangerous! It can make our users’ eyes bounce around the screen, unsure of where to start.

That’s where white space comes in. White space (or negative space) refers to the empty areas around text, visuals, and other elements. White space is a powerful design tool and when well-placed it creates a clear visual flow. This helps users follow the logical order of the dashboard without feeling overwhelmed.

Instead of cramming everything together, we can group related elements and leave intentional breathing room around key insights. This ensures that important metrics stand out, guiding users naturally to the information they need.

Another important principle is alignment! When elements are positioned thoughtfully, they create a clear visual flow that naturally guides the user’s eye in a predictable way. This aligns perfectly with eye-scanning patterns, helping users move through the dashboard efficiently without unnecessary searching. Alignment also helps reducing cognitive load, making reports easier to process and ensuring insights stand out exactly where users expect to find them

Want to learn more about white space? Check out my post about it Elevate Your Dashboard Design: Harnessing the Magic of White Space.

Affordance & Interactive Elements That Make Sense

Affordance is just a fancy word for “does this look clickable?”. If people don’t realise something is interactive, they’re not going to click it. That’s why designing interactive elements to be visually intuitive is so important. For example, in a Z-pattern layout, users naturally scan from the top left to the top right, then move across and down the page. Placing filters in the top right aligns with this pattern, ensuring they appear exactly where users expect them at the end of their initial scan.

We can also place interactive elements on the left-side because it is a well-known design pattern that aligns with user expectations and reading habits. Since most users read from left to right, placing menus, filters, and navigation controls on the left ensures they are seen early in the scanning process.

We can also use hover effects, borders, or shading to give interactive elements more visual presence, making them easier to identify. These subtle design cues help users feel confident interacting with the dashboard rather than hesitating over what is clickable.

See the Difference!

Take a look at the example below. Do you instantly know where to start looking? Is the key insight obvious? Now swipe to see a more structured design. Notice how much easier it is to process the information.

At the end of the day, designing visually intuitive and accessible dashboards is about making them work for everyone. By leveraging eye-scanning patterns and implementing accessibility principles, we create reports that reduce cognitive load, enhance user experience, and ensure everyone can engage with the data effectively.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you applied scanning patterns in your reports before?

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Until next time, let’s keep crafting accessible insights that make a difference!