Discover how to enhance your Power BI reports using the Card Browser custom visual. This powerful visual enables you to showcase document data with stunning images, creating an engaging and interactive browsing experience.

Comprehensive Guide to Module 77 – Power BI Card Browser Visual

As data storytelling evolves, the demand for visually immersive and interactive visuals within Power BI continues to rise. One standout custom visual that delivers on both function and form is the Card Browser. Featured in Module 77, the Card Browser visual adds a tactile and engaging method to present information, particularly when your goal is to visualize individual profiles, product snapshots, or detailed report summaries in a unique and user-friendly format.

This visual introduces a flip-style interaction that mimics real-world card browsing, allowing users to click through horizontally aligned, double-sided cards. With the option to feature high-resolution headline images and an intuitive layout, it turns data into a dynamic browsing experience. In this module, you will gain a deep understanding of how to incorporate this visual into your Power BI dashboards, as well as how to fully customize it for branding, layout, and interactivity.

What Makes the Card Browser Visual Unique?

The Card Browser visual differentiates itself from other Power BI visuals through its dual-sided card interface. Each record is displayed as a card that users can flip through horizontally, creating a sleek and modern presentation style. Unlike basic visuals like tables or slicers, the Card Browser promotes exploration by showcasing content in a more personalized and narrative-driven format.

By combining data fields with imagery and overlay text, it enhances the visual representation of key information. Each card can contain an image, a title, descriptive fields, and even icons—allowing report developers to build mini data stories for each item.

For example, a company leadership dashboard can display team members using profile images as the front face of the card, with their job title, experience, and contact information on the reverse. This highly visual approach promotes intuitive navigation and leaves a stronger impression on stakeholders who consume reports visually.

Hands-On Learning With Downloadable Resources

To maximize your understanding of the Card Browser visual, our site provides several downloadable resources as part of Module 77. These include:

• The Card Browser custom visual for Power BI
  
• A sample dataset titled Employees.xlsx, designed to simulate real-world use cases
  
• A fully completed Power BI report file named Module 77 – Card Browser.pbix, which provides a reference model for visual structure, formatting, and interactivity
  

These files are essential for users looking to build their skills through hands-on experimentation. By working with the provided dataset and exploring the completed report, users gain a clear understanding of how to map data fields, apply images, and format content for optimal visual impact.

Key Functional Features of the Card Browser

The Card Browser includes a robust set of features that elevate it beyond traditional visuals. These key functionalities make it a versatile addition to any Power BI dashboard:

Interactive Card Navigation

The primary function of this visual is to enable horizontal scrolling through multiple double-sided cards. Each card represents a single record from your dataset, allowing viewers to focus on one data point at a time without distraction. This layout mimics real-world browsing behavior, making it highly intuitive for end-users.

Headline Image Support

Each card supports a primary image field, often referred to as the “headline image.” This visual element is prominently displayed and serves as the front face of the card. When paired with people profiles, product photos, or location maps, these images transform plain data into an engaging visual narrative.

Flip Animation for Dual-Sided Content

The ability to flip the card adds a unique animation effect that increases interactivity. The front of the card typically displays the image and summary fields, while the back can showcase more detailed attributes such as department, tenure, biography, or performance metrics.

Responsive Design for Report Integration

The visual is fully responsive and can be resized within Power BI reports to fit different design contexts. Whether positioned as a small carousel in a sidebar or as a full-width main visual, the Card Browser adjusts its layout accordingly while preserving content clarity.

Field Mapping and Formatting

Users can assign specific dataset fields to each area of the card—title, subtitle, image, and more. This level of mapping ensures that each card reflects consistent formatting and supports data-driven customization.

Real-World Example: Visualizing Leadership Profiles

In the completed example provided in Module 77, the Card Browser is used to showcase the leadership team from our site. Each card features a high-quality image of an executive, with name and title displayed on the front. When flipped, the card reveals additional insights such as years of experience, strategic focus areas, and recent contributions.

This use case perfectly demonstrates the visual’s ability to combine personal branding with professional context. It’s particularly effective for internal dashboards used by HR departments, employee onboarding programs, or executive reporting where human-centric data is central to the message.

Customization Tips for Enhanced Design

The Card Browser offers a wealth of formatting options within the Power BI Format panel. Here are some best practices for maximizing design flexibility:

• Use high-resolution images with consistent aspect ratios to maintain a clean card layout
  
• Apply uniform font sizes and colors to ensure readability across varying screen sizes
  
• Utilize transparent backgrounds or color gradients to align with your corporate branding
  
• Leverage conditional formatting to change text or image behavior based on data-driven rules
  

Carefully curating the fields and images used in your Card Browser setup not only boosts clarity but also adds professionalism and polish to your Power BI reports.

Strategic Use Cases Across Business Functions

Beyond HR applications, the Card Browser has practical utility in numerous departments. Here are a few additional implementation ideas:

• Marketing dashboards: Present campaign spotlights, testimonials, or influencer profiles
  
• Sales reports: Feature product highlights, pricing tiers, or customer success stories
  
• Education and training portals: Showcase course modules, instructor bios, or certification paths
  
• Healthcare dashboards: Display patient case summaries, staff roles, or department snapshots
  

The visual’s structure supports any use case where detailed records benefit from visual context and simplified navigation.

Unlocking the Full Power of Visual Storytelling

By integrating the Card Browser with other Power BI elements—such as slicers, bookmarks, and drillthrough pages—you can create multi-layered reports that encourage discovery and interaction. The visual works particularly well as part of guided analytics reports where users click through curated views or dashboards built for executive summaries.

This ability to layer data context with strong imagery results in reports that not only inform but also inspire action and memory retention. When viewers can visually connect with the data, comprehension improves, and engagement soars.

Start Building With Card Browser Today

To begin your journey with the Card Browser visual, visit our site and download the custom visual, sample dataset, and finished report file. Explore the tutorial resources available in Module 77 and watch how simple data fields can be transformed into a rich, story-driven experience.

Whether you’re designing internal HR reports or showcasing your company’s products to stakeholders, the Card Browser brings a refined, interactive element to your dashboards that helps you present data in a way that’s both aesthetically pleasing and deeply informative.

Advanced Customization of Card Browser Appearance in Power BI

One of the most powerful advantages of Power BI is the extensive customization it offers for visuals—especially when working with custom visuals like the Card Browser. In Module 77, users gain access to a robust set of formatting tools that allow for detailed control over how each card is styled, displayed, and interacted with. Whether you’re creating an internal leadership dashboard or showcasing branded content externally, the Card Browser visual adapts seamlessly to meet your aesthetic and functional needs.

This guide focuses specifically on the appearance and layout customization options available within the Format pane of the Card Browser visual. From toggling shadows to adjusting reader pane dimensions, every setting plays a vital role in crafting a sleek, user-focused experience. With the right approach, even data-heavy dashboards can feel immersive and visually intuitive.

Customizing Visual Structure Using the Cards Formatting Section

The “Cards” section within the Format pane is where the majority of the visual’s core presentation styling occurs. Here, you can fine-tune the elements that control how each card is rendered within the browsing interface.

Toggle Drop Shadow for Depth

Visual depth plays a subtle yet significant role in creating dimensionality and focus within dashboards. The Card Browser visual includes a Shadow option that allows users to toggle drop shadows for each card. This simple setting enhances the visual separation between the card and the dashboard background, making each card feel like a distinct, touchable object.

For dashboards designed to mimic modern UI styles, enabling shadows adds realism and draws the viewer’s eye to the content. On the other hand, for minimalist themes or when placing the Card Browser over photographic backgrounds, disabling shadows helps maintain a flatter and cleaner aesthetic.

Formatting Datetime Columns

Date information is a frequent component of many card datasets—whether representing hire dates, project deadlines, event milestones, or financial timelines. The Date Format setting allows report developers to customize how datetime fields are displayed. This feature supports a wide range of format patterns, including international date standards or customized combinations of day, month, and year.

By tailoring this format, you ensure that date information is not only readable but contextually appropriate for your audience. For example, American viewers may expect MM/DD/YYYY, while global audiences may prefer DD/MM/YYYY. This adaptability enhances clarity and supports localization efforts.

Subtitle Separator Selection

Cards can be configured to display multiple subtitle fields, often used to list departments, roles, or status indicators. To improve the flow of these text elements, the Separator feature lets users choose a visual delimiter between subtitle values. Options might include slashes, commas, dashes, or even custom Unicode characters.

Choosing the right separator enhances visual hierarchy and reduces confusion when interpreting multiple fields within a compact layout. It also contributes to overall typography consistency, particularly when subtitles contain diverse data types like text, numbers, or dates.

Control Over Title Image Placement

The Card Browser visual supports a dedicated Title Image at the bottom of the MetaData card view. This feature is especially useful for adding a visual identity element—such as a company logo, product thumbnail, or icon representing a specific data category.

Users have the option to enable or disable this image. If you’re aiming for a cleaner look or focusing on textual data, turning off the title image allows more space for metadata fields. However, if brand alignment or visual cues are crucial to the report’s purpose, enabling the title image enriches the card design and strengthens recognition.

Enhancing Reader Section Layout and Interactivity

The Reader section within the Format pane governs how expanded card content is displayed. This expanded view offers users a deeper dive into the details of a selected card and can be fine-tuned to ensure the reading experience is as fluid as the browsing experience.

Customizing Header Colors

Visual continuity and readability can be elevated by adjusting the Header Color settings for both the Source label and the main image background. These colors help set the tone for the expanded view, acting as visual dividers between core content and supplementary context.

For instance, darker header shades may be used to frame executive profiles, while lighter palettes are more suitable for product descriptions or learning modules. Choosing complementary or brand-aligned header colors strengthens dashboard consistency and ensures the expanded view feels like an intentional extension of the main card.

Configuring Expanded Height and Width

Not all content fits neatly into a uniform card format. The Card Browser visual offers full control over the Expanded Height and Width, giving developers the ability to define how large or small the inline reader appears. This is essential when dealing with content variability—for example, if some records include longer biographies, larger images, or detailed data fields.

Careful adjustment of these dimensions ensures that content does not get truncated or appear unbalanced. It also prevents the expanded view from overshadowing other visuals on the same dashboard, preserving overall visual harmony.

Design Strategy and Practical Application

When designing a Power BI dashboard that incorporates the Card Browser, it’s important to consider the balance between visual richness and information density. The ability to customize nearly every visual component of the cards enables you to tailor the layout for any use case, from employee directories to sales brochures.

Here are some practical design tips for working with the Card Browser’s customization features:

• Use consistent image ratios to prevent awkward cropping within the headline image and title image areas
  
• Stick with no more than three subtitle fields per card for optimal spacing and readability
  
• Preview your expanded card layout at multiple screen resolutions to ensure scalability across devices
  
• Align your header and card background colors with corporate brand guidelines to maintain professionalism
  
• Avoid cluttering the back side of the card; reserve it for concise and actionable data
  

Real-World Usage Across Industry Verticals

The customization features of the Card Browser visual make it highly adaptable across multiple industries. In healthcare, you can display patient case overviews or doctor profiles. In education, use the visual to browse through course modules or instructor introductions. In hospitality, each card can feature a property listing or guest feedback summary.

What makes the Card Browser exceptional is its ability to humanize the data. With custom formatting options, each record becomes a living entity within the dashboard—backed by meaningful visuals, readable formatting, and seamless navigation.

Learn and Apply With Ready-Made Resources

As part of Module 77 on our site, you can access the Card Browser visual for immediate download, along with a practice dataset named Employees.xlsx and a completed Power BI file titled Module 77 – Card Browser.pbix. These assets are curated to provide users with practical experience in configuring and applying every formatting option discussed here.

Step-by-step learning modules and video tutorials complement these files, allowing you to explore the visual’s features in depth—from beginner usage to advanced formatting techniques.

Visual Customization in Power BI

Customization is at the heart of what makes Power BI such a powerful reporting platform. When working with visuals like the Card Browser, the ability to define how data looks, feels, and flows transforms a simple report into a compelling data experience.

Through formatting controls in both the Cards and Reader sections, the Card Browser offers unmatched flexibility in presenting personalized, card-based narratives. From toggling shadows to adjusting header colors, every setting is an opportunity to refine your design and deliver a dashboard that’s not only informative but visually persuasive.

Mastering Flip State, Data Load, and Performance Settings in the Power BI Card Browser Visual

The Card Browser visual in Power BI offers an immersive and intuitive way to present records in a format that resembles flipping through cards. As one of the most visually engaging custom visuals available, the Card Browser is designed to enhance both the presentation and interactivity of your reports. To fully leverage its capabilities, it’s essential to understand the tools available to manage flip behavior, control how data is loaded, and apply advanced formatting strategies.

In this section of Module 77, we delve deeper into how to customize user interaction through flip state settings, improve visual performance with data load controls, and fine-tune formatting to deliver a professional and cohesive Power BI experience. Whether you are building executive dashboards, employee directories, or marketing showcases, these controls provide the precision and flexibility needed for high-impact storytelling.

Managing the Flip State: Engaging or Static Presentation

One of the defining features of the Card Browser is its ability to let users flip cards from front to back, revealing more detailed information with a seamless animated effect. However, not all use cases require this interaction. In scenarios where a static display is preferred, Power BI gives report designers control over this behavior through the Enable Flip toggle.

Enable or Disable Card Flipping

By navigating to the visual’s Format pane and accessing the Enable Flip setting, you can determine whether users should be allowed to interact with each card by flipping it. When enabled, this adds a layer of interactivity that enhances user engagement—ideal for dashboards intended to be explored individually.

Conversely, disabling the flip action can simplify the interface and minimize distractions in reports viewed passively or in high-level summaries. For instance, in digital signage or display dashboards running on wall-mounted monitors, the front face of each card may be all that’s needed.

Selecting the Default Card Face View

Beyond enabling or disabling the flip action, you can define which side of the card should be shown by default. The Default Card Face setting allows you to choose between Preview and MetaData. The Preview face often contains images and high-level details such as names, roles, or titles, while the MetaData face provides deeper insight through additional fields or metrics.

Choosing the right default view is a strategic design decision. For profile-based dashboards, the Preview face might serve best. For analytical dashboards where metadata such as KPIs or operational data is primary, starting with the MetaData face can deliver faster value to users.

Controlling Data Load and Enhancing Performance

As with all visuals in Power BI, efficient data handling is crucial to ensure reports load quickly and perform reliably. The Card Browser includes a specialized feature—Load More Data—designed to optimize how many cards are retrieved and rendered at once.

Specifying Record Load Thresholds

The Load More Data control determines how many records the visual will attempt to load from the dataset. This is particularly important in large-scale deployments where hundreds of records may exist. Setting an appropriate threshold allows developers to maintain smooth scrolling, reduce rendering delays, and avoid overloading the report with excessive visuals.

For example, when showcasing a national sales team, loading only the top 50 performers keeps the experience quick and focused. For product catalogs or course listings, you might increase the threshold to show a broader range of items without requiring pagination or scrolling.

Performance Considerations for Mobile and Web

Performance tuning is especially critical when your report will be consumed across different devices. The Card Browser’s scrolling and flip animations are GPU-intensive, so managing data volume ensures that the visual remains fluid on lower-end hardware or mobile browsers. By combining intelligent data loading with image optimization and efficient field mapping, you preserve the responsive feel that end users expect.

Applying Additional Formatting for Visual Consistency

Beyond interactivity and performance, the Card Browser includes a suite of formatting tools that align with standard Power BI design practices. These settings contribute to consistent, brand-aligned visuals across your entire report.

Adjusting Background Color for Style and Contrast

Background customization plays a critical role in visual clarity and branding. The Card Browser allows full control over the background color of the visual container. By choosing colors that contrast well with card content, developers ensure text readability and highlight images effectively. Matching background color to the theme of the report or corporate brand guidelines creates a polished and unified presentation.

Adding or Removing Visual Borders

The option to add borders around the visual is particularly useful when segmenting areas of a dashboard. A subtle border can help distinguish the Card Browser from surrounding visuals, enhancing layout structure and making the report more scannable. Alternatively, removing borders supports a minimalist, integrated look—especially effective when visuals are layered on top of background images or textures.

Locking Aspect Ratio Across Devices

The Card Browser also includes the ability to lock aspect ratio, which ensures consistent display across screens of varying resolutions. This setting is vital for enterprise environments where reports are viewed on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. By preserving the intended proportions of the visual, you maintain layout integrity and avoid formatting issues such as card stretching or overflow.

Strategic Use of Flip and Formatting Features

The flip behavior and formatting options in the Card Browser are not just technical adjustments—they are storytelling tools. For instance, by enabling flip only on select cards or defaulting to a detailed view, you guide users toward specific insights. When combined with controlled data loading and streamlined visual formatting, the entire dashboard becomes more intentional and easier to navigate.

For example, in a corporate performance dashboard, each executive’s preview card can highlight their photo and role. Upon flipping, viewers can access team performance metrics and quarterly goals. A well-chosen background and consistent card size ensure this information remains clear and digestible, regardless of the device or screen size.

Learn More With Hands-On Resources and Expert Training

To explore these features in real-world applications, visit our site to download the Card Browser custom visual along with the provided dataset and example report file. These resources offer an opportunity to practice configuring flip behavior, controlling load thresholds, and applying advanced formatting techniques—all in a pre-designed environment.

Additionally, our site offers an extensive library of Power BI training modules, including the complete Custom Visuals series. These tutorials cover everything from basic implementation to advanced storytelling strategies using visuals like the Card Browser. Whether you’re new to Power BI or an experienced developer looking to expand your visual toolkit, these resources provide unmatched value and insight.

Crafting Immersive Dashboards Using the Power BI Card Browser Visual

In today’s data-driven environment, designing visually compelling and intuitively navigable dashboards is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Power BI’s Card Browser visual is a remarkable custom visual that equips report developers with the tools they need to elevate dashboard design beyond traditional bar charts and tables. Its card-based layout, flipping capabilities, and expansive formatting features make it ideal for showcasing individual records, telling stories through imagery and text, and encouraging viewer interaction.

The Card Browser visual, as introduced in Module 77 on our site, is a quintessential choice for presenting data in a dynamic, immersive way. Whether you’re developing executive dashboards, personnel directories, product showcases, or educational portals, this visual stands out for its ability to marry aesthetic design with analytical depth.

This guide explores how to maximize the visual’s potential by refining interactivity, controlling data rendering, and applying cohesive design principles—all of which contribute to an extraordinary Power BI reporting experience.

Unlocking Interactivity Through Controlled Flip Behavior

One of the most engaging features of the Card Browser visual is its flip mechanism. This allows users to explore deeper information by flipping each card from its front-facing preview to the detailed metadata side. This animation introduces a tactile dimension to the dashboard that simulates a real-world browsing experience.

From a user engagement perspective, flip interactivity creates a micro-journey for each data point. The front of the card typically contains high-level visuals such as profile photos, product images, or titles, while the reverse side dives deeper with additional metadata like KPIs, descriptions, or qualifications.

However, Power BI gives you full control over this behavior through the Enable Flip option in the visual’s format settings. For scenarios requiring a quick scan of information—such as a TV dashboard in a meeting room—you may want to disable flipping and maintain a fixed front-facing card layout. For exploratory dashboards where user interaction is key, keeping flipping enabled boosts retention and user engagement.

In tandem, the Default Card Face feature determines which side—Preview or Metadata—is displayed by default. This subtle control allows you to align the visual’s initial view with the intent of your report. If you’re emphasizing aesthetics and top-level identifiers, start with Preview. If your goal is to convey detailed, quantifiable data, start with Metadata.

Enhancing Performance With Smart Data Loading

Another pillar of a great Power BI visual experience is performance. A well-designed dashboard should load swiftly and run smoothly, regardless of the device it’s viewed on. The Card Browser supports intelligent performance tuning through the Load More Data functionality, which lets report developers specify how many records should initially render.

This feature is crucial when working with expansive datasets. Imagine a national retail dashboard that includes store manager profiles across 500+ locations. Loading all of them simultaneously can negatively impact load times and responsiveness. By setting a manageable threshold—say the top 50 managers based on performance—you ensure the visual renders quickly and provides a focused user experience.

The Load More Data option not only enhances speed but also allows report developers to implement prioritization strategies. You can surface the most relevant records first while maintaining the flexibility to let users explore more on demand. This tiered display model balances performance and interactivity, making your report scalable for broader datasets.

Elevating Design With Unified Formatting Options

Exceptional dashboards are not only functional—they’re beautifully designed. The Card Browser visual offers several formatting options that give you granular control over its visual appearance, making it easy to align with brand standards or the overall aesthetic of your report.

You can begin by adjusting the Background Color of the visual, which is especially useful when layering it over custom themes or background images. Whether your dashboard follows a light, modern theme or a bold, high-contrast one, background customization ensures your cards remain readable and eye-catching.

Next, the visual allows the addition or removal of borders, helping distinguish card collections from surrounding visuals. This can be particularly helpful in dense reports where layout clarity is essential.

To ensure consistent presentation across various screen resolutions, you can also lock the aspect ratio of the Card Browser. This is vital in environments where dashboards are accessed from desktops, tablets, and smartphones. By preserving proportionality, the visual’s design and readability remain intact, enhancing user satisfaction and data clarity.

Designing With Purpose: Real-World Application of Card Browser Features

When used strategically, every feature in the Card Browser becomes a brushstroke in a larger visual narrative. For instance, an HR dashboard might use card flipping to show employee bios and performance history. A marketing dashboard could display product cards with promotional artwork on the front and campaign metrics on the back.

In educational settings, the visual can showcase courses or instructors, with the front containing an image and course title, and the reverse including curriculum highlights or enrollment data. Healthcare dashboards may use it to present doctor profiles, patient case summaries, or procedural information in a format that feels natural and personal.

Each of these use cases benefits from a thoughtful application of flip behavior, data load efficiency, and visual formatting—all combining to create a dashboard experience that’s not just functional, but transformative.

Final Thoughts

To support your journey in mastering Power BI visuals, our site offers access to the Card Browser custom visual, the accompanying dataset (Employees.xlsx), and a completed Power BI report file (Module 77 – Card Browser.pbix). These downloadable materials allow you to experiment directly with flip behavior, performance settings, and formatting options in a real-world context.

In addition, expert-led modules available on our site guide you step by step through the visual’s implementation—from installation and field mapping to advanced design considerations. These lessons are designed for both beginners and experienced Power BI users, making them a valuable asset in your professional development.

The Card Browser visual represents more than just a custom display option—it’s a powerful design tool that helps transform flat data into rich, interactive narratives. By giving developers the ability to control flipping, manage data loads intelligently, and customize formatting in fine detail, it empowers you to craft exceptional dashboards that leave a lasting impression.

Whether your audience consists of executives, educators, analysts, or customers, the key to success lies in delivering visuals that speak clearly and look stunning. Every toggle, color choice, and layout decision contributes to the overall experience—and with the Card Browser, you have the control to make it extraordinary.