How can you make your performance reports visually appealing?

1 Choose the right format

Depending on your audience, purpose, and message, you might want to use different formats for your performance reports. For example, you can use dashboards, slides, infographics, or PDFs to showcase your data. Each format has its own advantages and limitations, so you need to consider factors such as interactivity, accessibility, and scalability. For instance, dashboards are great for interactive and dynamic data, but they might not be suitable for print or offline use. Slides are ideal for storytelling and presentation, but they might not capture all the details or nuances of your data. Infographics are attractive and concise, but they might oversimplify or distort your data. PDFs are versatile and portable, but they might lack visual impact or engagement.

2 Use charts and graphs wisely

Charts and graphs can be effective tools for visualizing data and emphasizing key findings, trends, and insights. However, it is important to use them appropriately to avoid confusing or misleading your readers. When creating charts and graphs for performance reports, consider the following guidelines: select the right type of chart or graph for your data, such as line charts for time series data and bar charts for categorical data; limit the number of visuals per page or slide to one or two; keep them simple and consistent; and label them clearly and accurately. Additionally, use titles, axes, units, and sources for your data, as well as descriptive and meaningful labels.

3 Apply design principles

Design principles are essential for creating visually appealing and effective performance reports. They help you organize, align, balance, and contrast elements such as text, images, charts, and graphs. Applying white space to create breathing room and focus for your elements is a great way to avoid clutter and distraction, while hierarchy helps emphasize and prioritize elements. Alignment can create order and harmony for your elements, while contrast can create interest and variety. All of these design principles can help guide readers’ attention and understanding, making your report look structured, logical, neat, organized, dynamic, and engaging.

4 Get feedback and refine

Before you finalize and share your performance reports, it is always a good idea to get feedback and refine them. Seeking feedback from various perspectives and sources, such as peers, managers, clients, or experts, can help you identify and fix any errors or inconsistencies in your data, design, or message. Additionally, asking for feedback on specific aspects or questions can improve the clarity, relevance, and persuasiveness of your reports. When incorporating feedback into your report, evaluate and filter it carefully and balance it with your own judgement. Don't change everything based on feedback, but don't ignore it either.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?