Glass Look for Power BI: Sleek Theme

Key insights

• Glassmorphism: In the video, Microsoft Certified Trainer Allison Gonzalez shows how to recreate the modern "glass" look used in iOS and web UIs and apply it to Power BI reports using only PowerPoint and Power BI.
  She demonstrates a practical workflow you can repeat without advanced design tools.
• Slide background: Pick a high-contrast stock image, blur it in PowerPoint, and lock it as the slide background so it stays stable behind report elements.
  This creates the depth and color context that makes glass panels readable and attractive.
• Rounded glass panels: Build reusable rounded shapes with semi-transparent fills, gradient borders, bevels, and soft shadows to mimic frosted glass.
  Place them to match your report layout so visuals appear to float over the background.
• Export as image: Export the PowerPoint slide as an image and set it as the Power BI page background.
  Then adjust visual positions, layer order, and individual visual backgrounds so charts and text remain clear.
• Readability & contrast: Use moderate opacity (about 0.1–0.3) and gentle blur (roughly 10–20px) and check text contrast against the backdrop.
  Test both light and dark themes and keep WCAG contrast goals in mind for accessibility.
• Power BI formatting: Use the format pane to fine-tune colors, transparency, and theme-aware settings; consider HTML visuals or DAX-driven transparency only when you need dynamic effects.
  Keep designs lightweight to protect report performance and maintain cross-device clarity.

Overview of the Video

Pragmatic Works published a how-to video in which Microsoft Certified Trainer Allison Gonzalez demonstrates how to bring the modern glassmorphism aesthetic into Power BI reports. In clear, step-by-step segments, she shows how to build frosted, rounded “glass” panels in PowerPoint and then export the composition to use as a custom page background in Power BI. The video stays practical and tool-focused, so viewers see a complete workflow without needing advanced design software. As a result, the tutorial fits designers and analysts who want a polished look with familiar Office tools.

How the Technique Works

First, Gonzalez selects a suitable stock image from the creator’s Microsoft 365 library and blurs it inside PowerPoint, locking the result as the slide background to avoid accidental changes. Then she layers rounded rectangles with adjusted transparency, gradients, and soft shadows so those shapes react visually to what lies beneath them. Next, she exports the slide as an image and applies it as a page background in Power BI, finishing with layout tweaks to ensure visuals remain readable. This approach recreates the frosted glass effect without custom visuals or advanced HTML/CSS coding, which many users find more accessible.

Step-by-Step Workflow and Considerations

Gonzalez walks viewers through choosing contrast-friendly images, blurring the backdrop sufficiently, and creating reusable panel shapes that match the report’s visual grid. She emphasizes matching panel placement to report visuals so that slicers, charts, and KPIs sit on or near the translucent panels for consistent hierarchy. After exporting and applying the background image in Power BI, she shows how to tweak report visuals—such as font weight, color, and spacing—to preserve readability against the blurred background. Consequently, the workflow balances design fidelity with practical report layout constraints.

Tradeoffs and Implementation Challenges

While the PowerPoint-to-background technique is simple and broadly compatible, it introduces tradeoffs worth noting. On the positive side, it avoids custom visuals and keeps the report file lightweight, but on the negative side it reduces flexibility: backgrounds are static images, so they do not adapt dynamically to changes in data or window size without new exports. Moreover, designers must balance the blur amount and panel opacity to protect text contrast; too much translucency or a busy image can undermine accessibility. Therefore, teams should weigh the desire for a striking aesthetic against the need for responsiveness and compliance with accessibility standards.

Practical Tips and Final Takeaways

Gonzalez offers several practical tips that help mitigate those challenges, recommending moderate blur levels, high-contrast text, and alignment of panels with report visuals to maintain focus on key metrics. In addition, she mentions that newer Power BI formatting features—such as improved theme controls and format pane options—can simplify matching colors and preserving contrast, which makes integration smoother. Finally, she encourages building a reusable slide template so teams can update layouts quickly and keep design consistent across reports. Overall, the method delivers a modern, professional look with manageable effort, provided teams accept the limits of static backgrounds and plan for accessibility and scale.

Keywords

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