Introduction
Happy National Guacamole Day! As a big fan of guac, I wanted to celebrate by bringing together two of my favorite things- Power BI and guacamole. Because why simply enjoy a bowl of guac when you can also turn it into a data visualization?
An Icon Matrix uses simple icons instead of repeating the same words or numbers in every cell. This makes the visual easier to read because you can quickly scan the icons and spot patterns without reading each value individually. It is especially useful when comparing simple categories such as Yes, Maybe, and No, or showing status and compatibility.
In this example, the icons help us understand what each ingredient brings to the guac- whether it makes it classic, spicy, chunky, fruity, or kid-friendly. And, of course, I built it in two different ways: using Power BI’s native conditional-formatting feature and using DAX.
Dataset
The dataset is a single Excel file found on GitHub at:
https://github.com/SLakshmiP07/WorkoutWednesdayPowerBI/blob/main/Categorical%20Icon%20Matrix/Guacamole%20Dataset.xlsx
Requirements
Using Power BI’s Conditional Formatting feature,
- Import the dataset into Power BI.
- Add a Matrix visual and select the required fields (Rows: Ingredient, Columns: Characteristic, Values: Answer)
- In the Format pane, expand Cell elements. Under Apply settings to, select Answer.
- Turn on Icons and click the fx button.
- Create the rules and choose the icons you want for Yes, Maybe, and No.
- Under Icon layout, select Icon only for a cleaner appearance.
- Adjust the remaining Matrix formatting, including padding, column widths, font size, and alignment.
- Note: Add an icon legend to the subtitle so users can quickly understand what each icon represents.
- Create a new measure that returns an icon based on the answer.
- Use this measure to create the matrix
Share
After you finish your workout, share on BlueSky or LinkedIn using the hashtags #WOW2026 and #PowerBI, and tag @MMarie, @shan_gsd, @KerryKolosko (on BlueSky). Tag Lakshmi Ponnurasan on LinkedIn.